Unsung Heroes: Mission One
by RavenLadies
Summary: G.I. Joe & Resident Evil Zero crossover. All signs seem to point to a possible reemergence of the T Virus after the discovery of several bodies. Strong language, violence, gore, mild slash. Billy Coen & Lifeline. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_This is a work of fan fiction and is intended for entertainment purposes only. G.I. Joe, Resident Evil: Zero, and their respective characters are the property of their creators, owners and distributors. The overall plot and any/all orginal characters are, however, the property of the author(s)._

Unsung Heroes: Mission One

Chapter One

The faint light from the streetlights outside filtered through the open drapes, the bedroom window itself opened to let in the cool night air. The bedroom was part of a large condo unit located in one of Cedar City, Utah's better complexes. While spacious and well maintained, the apartment was modestly and comfortably furnished in tasteful muted tones mixed with dark wood in a Danish modern style. Despite the numerous years that its owner had possessed it, the condo contained only a minimal number of personal items. There were only a few photographs scattered here and there, as well as a degree from Washington State University, framed and given a place of honor on the living room wall. Surrounding the degree were a number of other framed certificates – testaments to the owner's educational and job-related goals.

Cedar City itself was located on the edge of the Escalante Valley, a desert-like expanse that was home to not only a national park, but also the headquarters of one the United States military largest facilities – G.I. Joe Headquarters. Also known as The Pit, the base was the home of G.I. Joe – the code name given to a select group of highly trained personnel garnered from the various branches of the U.S. military; and whose primary mission was to protect the United States from terrorism.

In the bedroom, the drapes stirred by a slight breeze, the apartment's owner slept undisturbed, one arm up over his dark head and the other draped over his stomach which was covered by an ash gray t-shirt emblazoned with the words "Medics Do It With TLC". Completing his sleeping ensemble were a pair of plaid flannel pajama bottoms done in tones of black, white and gray.

The owner of the condo, Edwin C. Steen, was a member of this elite group of soldiers. The team's chief field medic, in fact, who went by the code name Lifeline. It was Edwin who, on more than one occasion, had made the difference between life and death for his fellow Joes, providing immediate medical care in the field under varying conditions. It was the kind of job that Edwin had wanted since as long as he could remember, one in which he could help people and hopefully make a difference in their lives; and he loved every minute of it.

As a member of G.I. Joe, Edwin had seen and done a great many things – a number of which bordered on unbelievable; and had also had the opportunity to meet many different people. Six months ago, while on his way to a training seminar at another base, Edwin had come across a man named Billy Coen – a Marine on the run from not only the military but, as events proved later on, a terrorist organization known as Cobra, one of the Joes most bitter enemies. After a series of near misses with Cobra, Edwin had been captured and held prisoner by the terrorist group because of his association with Coen. The medic was rescued from Cobra's clutches by his teammates, with Billy in tow, just before he was to be injected with a mutating virus as part of an experiment by Cobra's chief scientist, Dr. Mindbender. Unfortunately however, Billy and the team's leader, Scarlett, had been severely injured in the process.

During the Marine's convalescence, he and Billy had become close, their friendship giving way to an attraction that neither of them could deny. After Billy's recovery, in recognition of his conduct during the rescue mission and in uncovering a plot between Cobra and a pharmaceutical company called Umbrella to unleash the mutating virus on the world, Billy Coen had been offered a place with G.I. Joe. It was an offer that the Marine had eagerly accepted, taking the code name Devil Dog.

During the ensuing months, as Billy adjusted to life with the Joes, he and Edwin had also begun to explore their own burgeoning relationship, the medic's previously little-used condo becoming their most common meeting place. Just that night, Billy had come over for dinner, followed by a night of instruction as the Marine taught Edwin some of the finer points of Texas Hold'em poker. As the night drew to a close, Edwin had insisted that Billy stay, citing the Marine's consumption of several bottles of beer as a more than credible reason to do so.

So it was that Billy Coen was now lying next to Edwin, the Marine sleeping soundlessly.

Since Billy hadn't entirely planned on spending the night in the condo, he'd taken to sleeping in just his boxer briefs and a t-shirt that had been a gift from Gung Ho not long after he joined the team. Black, it was emblazoned with bright red letters that read "Save water, shower with a MARINE." It was, needless to say, one of Billy's favorites, and one of the few deviations away from his typical white sleeveless t-shirts.

Since joining the Joe team, Billy and his specially formed B.O.W. Unit hadn't actually seen much in the way of field-work. Billy gladly lent a hand on several rebuilding assignments, worked with the mechanics, and done whatever else was asked of him. He and his unit drilled often, Billy proving to be a merciless taskmaster. He'd slowly grown a strong bond with each of his subordinates, and as he'd slowly started opening up to this fellow soldiers, proved to have a more easy going manner than most expected upon meeting him. Even so, it was only around Edwin that Billy felt comfortable enough to open up completely.

They didn't get as much of a chance to see each other as before, but it was a reality both had been prepared for. It meant Billy had been given ample time to consider his growing relationship with Edwin. They'd both agreed from the very beginning to let things go at their own pace, and so far, that seemed to be working. Discretion was a very high priority, it being necessary for the two men to still give the external appearance of nothing more than a good friendship. They _were_ both military, after all. But that didn't mean that Billy couldn't appreciate the nights where he felt comfortable enough to curl up on his side in the bed next to Edwin, and indulge in the presence of another lying beside him.

The faint howl of a coyote disturbed the night. Being on the edge of the desert, the sound wasn't all that unusual and one that most people didn't even notice. It also wasn't odd to wake up in the middle of the night to see one or two of the nocturnal creatures nosing around the garbage bins at the edge of the complex's parking lot. The howl barely permeated Edwin's sleeping consciousness, although he did shift a bit in his sleep, his arm sliding from his stomach and coming to rest on the bed covers. It was a few minutes later however, when another sound broke the silence, this one a loud shrill beeping that instantly jolted the medic awake. Billy came partially awake as well, and started clawing unconsciously for the phone, old instincts from his days in Special Forces kicking in before anything else. When his hand didn't find a phone, and there was no wife growling at him to answer it, Billy forced one eye open and looked around blearily. "Hnn?"

His brain still sleep fogged, Edwin rolled to his side, his arm going out to the nightstand next to the bed. His groping hand found the wire-rimmed glasses resting there and he pulled them towards him, settling them on his face before reaching towards the nightstand once more to retrieve the other object lying there. It looked like an over-sized wristwatch, but much more high tech, with a square LCD screen about the size of a half-dollar and numerous buttons. The device was Edwin's comm link to G.I. Joe headquarters.

The shrill beep still ringing out, Lifeline peered down at the comm link, a slight frown marring his otherwise attractive face before he turned to look at the man next to him. "It's not mine, it must be you." He said, yawning.

Billy reached out again, groping for his own comm link, and when he finally found it, pulled it close. "Hnn." He pulled himself from the bed grabbing his cigarettes and wandering into the other room as he answered it in a sleep-roughened voice. "Devil Dog here, talk to me."

"Sorry for the wake up call." Main Frame's voice sounded from the comm. "But you're wanted back at H.Q. on the double."

Returning his comm back to its resting place, Edwin was tempted to slide back down into bed. Pushing up his glasses, he rubbed at his chocolate brown eyes with his fingertips and yawned once again. Resettling his glasses, the medic rose from the bed and silently padded across the carpeted floor, stopping to lean in the doorway between the bedroom and the living room, his gaze on Billy.

"Don't worry about it. I'll be there ASAP. Got any specifics?" Billy's eyes flicked up to Edwin, and he smiled faintly.

"All I know is you're going to be heading out, so you better step on the gas." Main Frame replied from his end. "Choppers are fueling up now."

"Understood. Devil Dog out." Billy flicked off the communicator, and headed back into the bedroom for his jeans. "Shit, this can't be good..." he muttered as he passed Edwin.

Lifeline listened intently, a slightly worried look on his face. It wasn't as if this was the first time that Billy had been called out on a mission; in fact the Marine had been tapped during his second week with the team. It was, however, only the third mission that his unit had been sent on. Knowing full well the lengths Billy was willing to go to in order to protect a comrade, Edwin had waited on the proverbial pins and needles until Billy had returned to the base.

Stifling another yawn, the medic ran a hand through his already sleep mussed hair as he moved out of the doorway and back towards the bed, sitting down on the edge. "Just means they're going to fill you in once you get there."

"Call it a gut feeling," was the quiet reply as Billy pulled on his jeans and reached for his boots.

Lifeline's dark eyes regarded the other man silently, the anxiousness that he felt whenever Billy was called out already starting to build. While Edwin worried about all of his teammates, it was quite different where the Marine was concerned, even though he tried not to show it. Billy's "gut feeling" wasn't helping matters. Billy pulled on his boots, then turned toward Edwin, and offered a slight smile. "Hey," He said, "try not to worry too much, okay? I don't want you giving yourself an ulcer or something while I'm gone."

"Worry? About you?" Edwin scoffed, his tone much lighter than he actually felt.

That earned the medic a snort of laughter as Billy stood, and headed into the living room for his coat. Rising from his seat on the edge of the bed, Lifeline trailed after the Marine, his bare feet silent as he crossed the hardwood floor. Billy pulled the jacket on, strapped the comm on his wrist and slipped the cigarettes away before turning to Edwin finally, smiling a little. The medic met the Marine's gaze, mustering up a slight smile in return. "Yo Joe," he said, his voice soft as he looked at Billy.

"Yo Joe," Billy replied with a wink. He laid a hand on Edwin's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze before heading outside for his truck.

Framed in the doorway, Lifeline watched Billy disappear down the stairs, the sound of the main stairwell door opening and closing a few moments later. Closing and locking his front door, Edwin returned to the bedroom, leaving his glasses on the nightstand before lying back down, his hands behind his head. It was some time however, before he managed to fall back to sleep.

* * *

As the chopper circled the expanse of forest, Billy couldn't help but reflect that under better circumstances, it would have made a nice camping spot. The forest was fairly dense, the terrain split by a river that wound aimlessly through it. Under normal circumstances, the river and the soothing sound of its waters would have been a wonderful thing. Getting ready to walk into a potential combat situation, however, meant that the river had the potential to become a severe liability. A hand on the Marine's shoulder brought Billy out of his musings. Looking over his shoulder, he found the owner of the hand to be his second-in-command, Nina "Hutch" Hutchinson, one of eight core members in his new unit.

Each member had been chosen for not only their primary expertise, but because every one of them had a secondary expertise that was useful to the unit. There was Private First Class Franklin Daniels, their sniper and secondary pilot. Sergeant Kenya Strong, who was an Infiltration Expert and a hacker. Private First Class Nancy Dale served as their Intelligence Specialist, and was also something of a hacker. Their Field Medic, Lance Corporal Marcel Hancock, had been hand-selected by Billy with Lifeline's help, the young man not only an outstanding medic, but also a master of hand-to-hand combat. Private First Class Jocelyn Freeman had been brought on as a sharpshooter, and was still developing her other skills. Because of that, she hadn't yet been designated with a secondary expertise. Billy had been adamant about having more than one mechanic, especially if they'd be dealing with Umbrella. It was an almost superstitious decision, but not without a good reason. Too often things started going wrong with some kind of mechanical malfunction. Private First Class Malcolm Morrison was a sharpshooter as well as a Demolitions expert. Corporal Raphael Kirk Hopper was their official pilot, not to mention a crack mechanic as well. And last, but certainly not least, was Billy's second in command, Second Lieutenant Nina Hutchinson, who had stood out not only for her leadership abilities, but because she was a sharpshooter as well.

As if sensing that Billy had wandered off into his own head again, Hutchinson gave his shoulder a little pat as she spoke. "Lieutenant," she said, "we're approaching the insertion point."

"Thanks, Hutch," was Billy's reply as he stood. He made his way to the front of the chopper, where Hopper was anxiously scanning the terrain they were circling. "How close are we?" Billy asked, as he slipped into the co-pilot's seat.

"I'm circling now, Sir," Hopper replied.

"Okay." Billy made his way back into the back of the chopper, and laid eyes on his team. He was pleasantly surprised to find them already suited up and ready to go. "We'll be splitting into pairs for this run. Morrison, you'll be with Strong. Hutch, take Dale with you. Hancock, you'll be with me. Freeman, you and Daniels will be running together on this one."

"And Hopper?" Hutchinson asked.

"He'll be staying with the chopper, in case we have to haul ass out of here in a hurry." Billy paused a moment before he spoke again. "We'll be fast roping in and doing a standard sweep. Check in every fifteen minutes, sooner if you find anything out of the ordinary."

There were nods of acknowledgment all around. Billy smiled faintly at that and nodded back. "Let's move out."

* * *

There weren't many things in the world that could scare Kenya Strong. Her infiltration work meant she had been thrown into more than her share of odd situations. Still, nothing had ever really prepared her for picking her way through a forest in the middle of the night, looking for monsters and zombies. Unless you counted hours and hours of playing _Doom_ in her spare time. Walking along next to Strong, Malcolm Morrison couldn't help but wonder, as he always did, if they weren't being thrown into a situation that would turn out to be nothing more than an elaborate hoax. "Hey, Kenya," he said quietly.

"What?" Strong hissed.

"You ever...wonder just what the hell we're really doing out here? I mean, doesn't the idea of monsters and zombies seem kinda far fetched to you?"

Strong said nothing for several moments, frowning a little to herself before she spoke. "Maybe a little. But Hutch and the big guy seem serious enough. And I don't think the Lieutenant's much into jokes like that."

"Yeah, I guess that's true..."

"Now quit worrying about _why_ we're out here, and just worry about keeping an eye open for corpses, huh?"

* * *

"Lieutenant?"

Billy nearly jumped out of his skin when the radio attached to his belt crackled and Hutchinson's voice came through. "What's up, Hutch?" He asked.

"Dale and I found something...you oughta come see."

"Where are you?"

"About a mile south of the drop off."

That made the Marine frown as he replied. "Understood. I'm on my way."

Clipping the radio back on his belt and checking the compass he carried as well, Billy began jogging toward Hutchinson's position, with Hancock following alongside. "What do you think they found, Sir?" Hancock asked.

"If we're lucky, it was the tragic victim of an animal mauling or something."

"And if we're not?"

"Then I think we've got a problem."

* * *

When Billy and Hancock found the others, the six other soldiers were standing in a semi-circle around a beaten down portion of grass. There was no immediate sign of a body, until they were practically on top of it. "Jesus," Billy heard Hancock say in a hushed tone.

The humanoid creature had all the makings of a Tyrant or even one of the odd creatures that had broken Billy's nose during the mission to rescue Edwin, but something wasn't quite right. The limbs weren't elongated for starters, and the flesh was too whole. There weren't any of the tell-tale stitches or scars that were common on the Tyrants; and the musculature was still too human. 'But it doesn't look like a zombie, either,'he thought with a frown.

"So...what do you think, Lieutenant?" Came Nancy Dale's soft voice.

"I don't think it's an outbreak, if that's what you're asking," Billy said thoughtfully, kneeling next to the body, one hand on his magnum. "As to what it _is,_ your guess is as good as mine."

Hancock knelt down beside Billy, pulling on a pair of latex gloves as he did so. "It doesn't look much like a T-Virus carrier, does it?" Hancock asked to no one in particular, reaching out and touching the corpse's flesh lightly. "Too fresh...no signs at all of decay..."

"How long do you suppose the poor fucker's been out here?" asked Freeman. "I mean, if he looks that good, it couldn't have been too long."

"I'd almost be inclined to agree with you," Hancock said with a nod. "Except there _are_ some signs of animals feeding on this guy. See here, and here?" he asked, pointing to two ragged wounds in the corpses' arm. "Looks like something got a hold of it."

"We didn't encounter any infected animals during our sweep," Dale spoke up.

Billy shook his head. "If they're infected, and if it's anything like the T-Virus, then we may not..."

"And if it's some kind of hybrid, or another virus altogether, then it's possible that it either didn't infect the animals that were using this guy for lunch, that it may have killed the critters outright, or even that whatever guy here had was something that can't be spread that way."

"Let's get him bagged up and get him ready for transport. Strong, help Hancock with that. The rest of you, fan out from here and see if there's anything else suspicious in the area. Regroup here in ten minutes."

"Sir, yes sir!" Came the chorus of replies.

Ten minutes seemed to stretch on for hours to Billy. They found nothing else out of the ordinary, and by the time the unit had regrouped, Strong and Hancock had the strange corpse bagged and ready to be taken back to the base. Once they were airborne again, Billy sighed softly and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Just what the hell have we walked into?' He wondered.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Lifeline made a frustrated sound as he resisted the urge to hurl the clipboard in his hand against the wall. 'God, I hate inventory.' Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a moment before slowly exhaling. After a few moments, he reopened his dark eyes and turned his attention back to the shelves of medical supplies before him.

"Got stuck doing the counts again, huh?"Billy asked, standing near the doorway.

So absorbed was Edwin that he started a bit at the sound of Billy's voice, a faint blush staining his cheeks at being caught so unaware. "H-Hey."

A faint smile touched Billy's lips, but he didn't move from his place. "Hey. Got a few minutes? We found another one."

Lifeline nodded, his dark brows crooking together as he looked at the Marine. Leaving the clipboard on top of a carton of gauze pads, he stepped towards Billy. Turning silently from the door, Billy headed down the hallway and for the infirmary, the faint smile falling from his face and replaced by a pensive look. Just as he had the last time he had seen the Marine, Lifeline trailed after him, the slight frown not fading from his face as he looked at Billy's back. "This'll be what, body number two, or number three?" Billy asked.

"It'll be three," Edwin answered as the two reached his office, the door already open.

Billy shook his head, his jaw tightening. "I've got some pictures. You may wanna take a look at them before you see the body..."

There was silence as the two men entered the office. Billy said nothing more, only pulling something out from under one arm and tossing it onto Edwin's desk. Lifeline's frown deepened as he followed the Marine into the office. The medic's eyes immediately fell on the large manila enveloped now lying on his desk. Debating for a moment, Edwin closed the door before moving to the desk and picking it up.

Billy chose to remain standing, watching Edwin silently. He didn't need to see the photos again. He'd been there to find the corpse itself, after all, and it was still vividly branded in his mind. Billy shifted his weight to one foot, leaning against the desk as Edwin pulled the photos from the envelope, turning them over so that they were face up.

Almost immediately, Edwin felt the bile rise in his throat, just as it had when he'd seen the photographs of the first body that Billy's team had recovered. As a medic, both in the military and as a civilian with the Seattle Fire Department, Edwin Steen had seen his fair share of dead bodies – some so mangled that they weren't immediately recognizable. One of his first runs with the Seattle Fire Department had been like that. Some poor soul in a head-on collision had been catapulted half-way through the windshield from the force of the impact. Edwin had managed not to throw up until after the body had been claimed by the coroner's office, slipping away into the trees so that no one would see. As he looked down at the photographs in his hand, Lifeline felt a very similar type of nausea in the pit of his stomach.

Edwin had only seen one type of the various mutations that Umbrella and Cobra had been able to create using what they had labeled as the T-Virus. That creature had been called a Tyrant, a mutated human with only one purpose – to kill. It was an image that occasionally still haunted the medic's dreams, and he had hoped that with the capture of the virus and the encrypted research disk, he would never have to see one again. The body in the picture wasn't a Tyrant, but there were unmistakable similarities – too many to ignore. Somehow, somewhere, someone was once again conducting human experiments using the T-Virus. Or something very much like it.

The expression on Edwin's face told Billy enough and he sighed. "Somebody's dicking around with the virus again..."

"Unfortunately, it looks that way," Lifeline said softly as he returned the photographs to the envelope.

"This is weird...this isn't like an outbreak. Which means these poor bastards were probably chosen specifically." After a moment, Billy went on hesitantly, "Or we just haven't found the real hot zone yet."

Edwin put the envelope down on the desk before moving to lean against the edge of it. "What's Duke got to say?"

"They're sending in me and my team to look and see if there's a more concentrated hot zone we just don't know about," Billy replied, shifting his weight to his other foot and hooking a thumb in one of the belt loops of his BDU pants.

The medic crossed his arms over his chest, his coffee-colored eyes on Billy. "When?"

"Tomorrow morning. And to be honest with you, Edwin, I don't like it. At all. My unit's not that big, but I'd rather not take anyone else along. If we're dealing with another outbreak..." Billy trailed off; there was no reason to finish the sentence.

Heedless of where they were, Edwin reached out and put his hand on the Marine's upper arm. "This is why your team was put together, although I think we were all secretly hoping that it would never come to this."

Billy offered Edwin a smile, and his hand came up to lay on Edwin's for a brief moment. "It's just too damn early..." he said softly. "They're not ready to deal with a hot zone yet."

Lifeline gave Billy's arm a slight squeeze. "They're Joes, Billy. They'll do what they have to, whatever it takes – just like us." The medic's hand slid away.

"They're still my responsibility, Edwin," was the quiet reply, then Billy sighed. "Look, I know I'm being paranoid, but I can't help it."

Edwin nodded. "You know more about this any of us; and after what you went through, you've got more of a reason than any of us to feel that way."

Billy nodded. "If you don't want to check out the body, I'm gonna give them the okay to ship it off."

"I doubt there's much more to learn from it than the others, which was an absolute zero."

"Okay...I'm free once I've finished giving them the go-ahead. Did you need any help up here?"

The medic shook his head. "No, I've got it covered. In fact I was planning on leaving the rest of the inventory until tomorrow anyway."

"Want to go grab a couple drinks or something?" The Marine's voice was soft.

"Sure," Lifeline replied with a slight nod of his head.

"Cool. I still need to shower and change. Should I just meet you somewhere?"

"Do you want to meet me at my place? I can stop and pick up something for dinner, too, if you want to stay for a while."

Billy thought about that for a few moments, and then nodded. "That sounds good."

Edwin fished in the pocket of the fatigue pants he was wearing, forgoing his usual red and white uniform for the day while working on the bi-monthly inventory. Reaching for Billy's hand he pressed a bronze colored key into the Marine's palm. "J-Just in case I'm not there when you arrive . . ."

Blinking in surprise, the Marine smiled some. "Uh...thanks."

"I, uh . . . I, uh, was going to give it to you anyway and this seemed like as good a time as any." The medic's voice was soft. "If you don't want to take it . . . " Edwin trailed off, faintly blushing.

"It's okay, really," Billy replied. "I was just...kinda surprised." He was silent for a few moments, before picking up the envelope containing the pictures. "I'll...see ya there, then."

Lifeline nodded his head in agreement, but before he could say anything else, the phone on his desk began to ring. Giving his departing friend a small wave, Edwin reached for the receiver. "Infirmary . . ."

* * *

Lifeline's condo was on the second floor, and as such afforded him a balcony that was accessible through a set of French doors in the main dining room. The balcony was located on the backside of the building and offered a spectacular view of the mountains of the Escalante Valley. The balcony and its view had been one of the reasons that Edwin had bought the place and he liked to enjoy his investment whenever he could.

After taking care of a few things at work, Edwin had left early, stopping at the grocery store on his way home to pick up a couple of steaks for dinner and a few other things. After putting everything away, he'd gone into the bedroom to change his clothes, opting for a pair of loose track-style pants and a t-shirt bearing the Washington State University crest.

Opening a bottle of red wine, the medic poured himself a glass, and took a sip as he leaned against the kitchen counter thinking about the phone call he'd received earlier at his office just as Billy was leaving. The call had been from his aunt – his father's sister – in Seattle to let him know that his father had been admitted to the hospital with what had been diagnosed as a bleeding ulcer. She'd given Edwin the name and phone number of the hospital and his father's room number, "just in case you want to call him." Lifeline's dark eyes glanced down at the yellow sticky note on the counter in front of him for a moment before taking his glass and leaving the kitchen. Moving out into the living room, he stopped to turn on the stereo, popping in a couple of CDs and turning up the volume a bit before moving on to the dining room. Unlocking the French doors, he pulled them opened and stepped out onto the balcony.

* * *

By the time Billy pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, he was starting to feel a little sick again. He'd given the okay for the newest corpse to be shipped off, and then spent the next half hour going through the pictures again. Something about the whole situation bothered him. By the end of that half hour, however, Billy was no closer to a solution than he'd been before. A shower and a nap in the bed of his truck hadn't done much to help either. Now, as he left the truck behind and headed up the stairs, he felt the weight of the key Edwin had given him in his hand, and couldn't help but smile a little. No matter what was going wrong for him, being around the medic invariably made him feel better. There was often a kind of serenity to Edwin that Billy liked. A lot. It was nice to have something in his life going right for a change.

Hesitating only a moment, Billy reached up and knocked on the door. Key or not, he didn't want to invade uninvited. When even a second knock earned Billy no reply, he finally used the key, letting himself into the condo and closing the door behind him. He smiled a little when he heard the music, realizing why his knocks had gone unheard. "Edwin?" he called out.

Edwin had settled in one of the pair Adirondack chairs on the balcony, the glass of wine on a matching table between the two of them. His bare foot was unconsciously tapping to the music coming through the open doors. Between the music and his own inward musings, the medic was unaware that anyone had knocked. The Marine's call, luckily, coincided with a pause between tracks before the music started once again, the opening bars of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" beginning to flow through the surround sound speaker system. "Out here," Lifeline's voice called out in response, just loud enough to be heard over the music. ". . . dining room."

Billy wandered through the condo until he'd found his way out to the balcony, leaning in the doorway when he found it. When he finally realized where Edwin had gone, he only smiled. The balcony was one of Billy's favorite places, where he usually went to smoke when he stayed late. Letting his eyes shift from Edwin to the landscape beyond, he spoke softly, "I love this view."

Lifeline looked over at the Marine. "One of the reasons I bought this place," he said, smiling faintly as he started to rise from his seat.

"I don't blame you..." Billy's eyes stayed locked on the horizon, his slight smile fading as he stared. "It's soothing."

Stepping towards Billy, Edwin closed the short distance between them. "Sit down," he said, as he reached out and lightly laid his hand on the brunette's upper arm. "I'll get you something to drink."

With a slight nod, Billy smiled a bit and moved slowly toward one of the chairs, laying his pack of cigarettes on the table. Disappearing through the open doors, Lifeline made his way to the kitchen, retrieving a bottle of beer for Billy from the refrigerator, as well as the opened wine bottle. Returning to the balcony, he offered over the beer to the Marine.

"Thanks." Billy took the beer before slumping back into the chair again, twisting off the cap and taking a swallow of the drink. It wouldn't do much to combat his uneasiness; he was craving something harder. But since he was being deployed the next morning, he didn't dare wake with a hang-over.

Edwin topped of his glass before setting the bottle down on the table and reclaiming the chair he had vacated earlier. Taking the glass, he put it to his lips and took a sip. Billy sat in silence for a time, wanting to speak, to say something. But he wasn't quite sure what might come out of his mouth if he let it run on its own. Finally, he settled for a quietly spoken, "Thanks for letting me come hang out here..."

The medic smiled a bit as he looked at Billy. "No problem . . . I don't mind. You can come over anytime you want, whether I'm here or not."

"You...sure?" Billy said, raising an eyebrow as he gave Edwin a glance from the corner of his eye. "I'd hate to intrude on your little sanctuary."

"It's fine Billy, really." Lifeline nodded his dark head a little. "It's not like I really live here any way. This place has been empty more than it's been occupied."

"I appreciate it. I hadn't really looked into getting a place off-base. I can sleep almost anywhere. It'd be different if I had Robby, but–" he cut himself off before he could pursue that train of thought too far. "The barracks are good enough."

"I don't mind staying on base, it's just . . . sometimes its nice to have a place to go just to get away from it for a while." Edwin raised the glass to his lips and took another sip.

"I know what you mean," Billy said softly. "I didn't get to stay home much, but god I loved it when I did..."

Lifeline smiled faintly as he looked at the Marine. Billy returned the smile tentatively, meeting Edwin's eyes after a moment. It wasn't often the Marine looked at the medic dead in the eye like that, and he wasn't entirely sure why. He knew part of it stemmed from the fear of seeing fear, or disgust, or pity in those dark eyes. But the rest of it was an uncharacteristic bashfulness that was as bizarre as it was maddening. The medic held Billy's gaze for a few moments before swallowing and dropping his eyes a bit, feeling the heat of a faint blush as it stained his cheeks. Billy smiled a bit at that, and took a long drink off his beer before he ventured to break the silence again. "So what'd you get for dinner?"

"Oh, um, steak," Edwin replied. "I, uh, I hope that's okay."

"Yeah, that's cool." Billy took another long drink before settling back in the chair, closing his eyes against a cool breath of evening wind as it slid over his skin.

Lifeline couldn't help smiling as he watched the Marine for a few minutes before rising to his feet once more. "You stay and hang out here. I'll go get dinner started."

"You sure? I mean, it's bad enough I invade your space, without making you cook, too."

"You're not invading my space, Billy . . ." Taking the glass and the bottle with him, Edwin headed back into the condo and towards the kitchen.

* * *

A few minutes after Edwin went inside, Billy stood and headed into the condo as well, shutting the door behind him. After the day he'd had, he decided he'd prefer not to be alone. Lifeline already had the steaks out and on the broiler pan, rubbing them down with seasoning when the Marine joined him in the kitchen. He glanced up, giving the other man a small quick smile before returning to the task at hand. Billy returned the smile, and walked over to lean against the counter near where Edwin was working, watching him with a smile as he prepared the meat. Aside from the cooking he did while he was camping, Billy had little to no culinary expertise to speak of and he enjoyed watching people who could cook in a regular kitchen.

Once he was satisfied, the medic wiped his hands off on a dishcloth before moving the broiling pan to the oven. After setting the timer, he turned back towards Billy. "Shouldn't be too long . . ." Moving back to the counter, Edwin started to clean up a bit. "I hope you don't mind just salad. I thought I had some potatoes, but . . . "

Billy only laughed. "You're cooking and you seriously think I'm going to complain? A salad will be fine."

Lifeline smiled a bit, nodding his dark head slightly. Offering a smile back, there was a visible reduction in the tension across the Marine's shoulders. He was finally starting to relax some, as he knew he would.

Moving towards the refrigerator, Lifeline took out the ingredients for the salad, having bought a bag of premixed greens and a couple of tomatoes. After setting them down on the counter, he turned back to the icebox. "Want another?" he asked the Marine, indicating the bottle in Billy's hand.

"Please," Billy said with a nod, moving away from the counter to rinse out the empty bottle in his hand and put it in the recycling bin.

Grabbing a fresh bottle from the carton on the top shelf, Edwin closed the door and stepped closer to the Marine, offering up the bottle. With a grateful smile, Billy took it. "Appreciated."

Edwin leaned against the counter next to Billy, his hands behind him and settled on the edge of the tiled-top. After a few moments, Billy shifted his weight slightly to lean subtly closer to the medic as he twisted the cap off the bottle. Lifeline's dark eyes glanced at the man next to him, seeming to debate something within himself. After a few quiet moments, he finally spoke, his voice soft, almost hushed. "Billy . . ." he said, turning a bit more towards the Marine.

"Yeah?" Billy said, turning his head to look over at the other man, perplexed by the sudden soft tone.

Edwin met the other man's gaze and held it for a few moments. Swallowing down a lump that had formed in his throat, he slowly – almost hesitantly – leaned closer to Billy. The Marine didn't move, and it seemed to him that he didn't even breathe as Edwin leaned in. The decision wasn't entirely conscious; he was as nervous as the medic and he knew it. Lifeline's dark eyes slid closed as his lips made contact with Billy's. The touch was light, a bit hesitant, and lasted only a minute. Instead of pulling back completely, Edwin raised his head up to look at the Marine, who blinked in surprise, but smiled faintly and leaned in himself, letting his lips brush Edwin's lightly. That gentle contact of lips had sent a jolt through the Marine, and he was curious if it would happen again. A purr rose in his throat when it did.

Some of Lifeline's nervousness slid away when Billy returned the kiss. He'd been unsure about making the first move – about not wanting to rush things between them. As the Marine kissed him, the press of his lips against Billy's was a bit firmer then before. Encouraged by the response, Billy held the kiss for several long moments, before pulling back a little with a smile. Edwin looked at Billy, for once not feeling his cheeks flush when he met the Marine's dark gaze at such a close range, smiling faintly. "Hmm...think I could get used to that," Billy said in a hushed tone.

That did pull a blush from the medic and he could feel the heat of it as it crept up his neck. The sight of the blush only made Billy smile a little more, and he chuckled softly. Edwin put a hand to his still flaming cheek and looked away from the other man. "It's not funny," he said, unable to keep from smiling a bit.

"Endearing, though," Billy said quietly.

Lifeline turned his eyes back up to Billy, his hand sliding away from his cheek as he did so. Without any of his earlier hesitation, he leaned in once more and pressed his lips against the brunette's. A quiet sound rose in Billy's throat and this time he wrapped his arms around the medic, the embrace loose and tentative. Edwin brought his hand up, the palm lightly resting on Billy's chest as the kiss lingered on for another minute or so before being rudely interrupted by the buzzing of the timer on the stove. "Figures," Billy muttered against Edwin's lips, smiling in spite of his words as he reluctantly released the medic. Lifeline found a slight smile tugging at his lips as he slipped away from the Marine.

Watching Edwin as he moved toward the stove, Billy couldn't help but smile. 'If you'd told me five years ago I'd be standing here, grinning like an idiot because I was lip locked with another guy, I'd have beaten you black and blue...' he thought, watching as Lifeline quickly turned off the timer and the stove, leaving the steaks inside while he started in on the salad making that had gotten side-tracked.

* * *

Dinner itself was a comfortable affair, the conversation light, and the food excellent. Billy helped with dishes, and the two shared another drink or two before the time finally came for Billy to head back to base, and for the barracks. "You really should stay here," Edwin said, the two of them standing in the living room. "I don't like the idea of you driving back to the base, knowing that you've been drinking – even if it was only a couple of beers."

"I can't risk being late tomorrow, not even by a few minutes because of traffic," Billy replied with a one-shouldered shrug. "I need to be in the barracks tonight."

The medic nodded, "I know. Just be careful, okay?"

"I will, I promise..."

"I know I sound like some worry wart . . ." Lifeline chuckled a little.

"At least I know you care," Billy said, as he reluctantly headed toward the door. It was extremely tempting to take up the unspoken offer to remain at the apartment until morning, but he honestly didn't dare; he might find himself too reluctant to leave.

Edwin moved as well, intending to see the other man out. Billy smiled a little at that, and grabbed his jacket from its hook near the door. The medic waited until the Marine had shrugged on his jacket. "I'll see you when you get back," he said, mustering up a faint smile for Billy's benefit.

"I'm counting on it," Billy replied with a faint smile of his own as he tugged the jacket into place and turned to face the medic.

Lifeline's dark eyes met Billy's gaze. "Good luck," he said, his voice not betraying any of the anxiety that he once again began to feel at the Marine's leaving for a mission.

"Thanks," Billy said softly, before leaning in and pressing a brief, soft kiss to Edwin's lips.

Edwin's smile became a bit more genuine as he looked at the Marine quietly for a few moments before reaching for the door and opening it. "Go get 'em, Devil Dog."

"Yo Joe," Billy shot back with a grin, before heading out the door.

* * *

"All right, ladies and gentlemen, listen up."

The low murmur of idle conversation died away immediately at the sound of Billy's voice, drawing a slight smile from the Marine. He'd been training with this particular group of young men and women since shortly after he'd become a Joe. Hand-picked with Beach Head and Scarlett's help, they had all been specially trained in combating B.O.W.s by Billy himself. His main concern in putting together his unit was that the Joes tended to take their members from all branches of the U.S. Military, and there was a certain amount of disdain for the other branches that seemed to be bred into a Marine in boot camp. The few members of his unit who were not USMC, therefore, had both surprised and pleased him with a level of professionalism that would do any Marine proud. In the end, what branch they were originally from didn't matter. They were Joes, and that was good enough.

It was Billy's pride, as well as his fierce protectiveness of this subordinates, that made him uneasy while they were in transit. "We'll be reaching our contact point soon. I just want to go over our objectives one last time. This is just a recon mission, just business as usual. We find any hot spots, we get the hell out. We find any B.O.W.s, we get the hell out _fast._ Once we land, split off in your normal pairs." Then he looked over at Hopper. "Hope you don't mind, but I'd rather keep you here with the chopper. If shit gets ugly"

"Then you're gonna need to get outta here in a hurry. I get it," Hopper replied with a nod and a thumbs-up before he brought the chopper in for a landing. "No sweat."

Billy nodded, another slight smile touching his lips. "Good. Now let's get to work."

Their drop site wasn't far from the location they'd found the last body. Immediately, they formed their assigned pairs and fanned out into the forest. As they did, Billy found that nagging in the back of his mind growing even louder. The forest was far too quiet, and it made his every instinct scream at him to abort the mission and get out of there before he led them into a hot zone. He dismissed the notion immediately; it wasn't an option. The higher-ups would want something more substantial than his hunches.

In retrospect, he would later muse, he should have listened to his instincts.

* * *

The attack came fast, furious, and with a swiftness that hinted at preparation. 'They knew we were coming!' Billy thought as the laser fire began singing through the air around him. 'SHIT!'

How Cobra knew they would be there, Billy didn't know. All he knew was that as spread out as his people were, even heavily armed, they didn't stand a chance against a forest full of Cobra troops and god only knew what else. As Billy and Hancock traded shots with the troopers, his free hand dropped to the radio clipped to his belt. He brought it up and adjusted the frequency before snapping, "Listen up, people. Abort mission! I repeat, abort mission! Make for the chopper!"

Before he could say more, his radio exploded into a shower of plastic and electronic components, the victim of a Cobra laser rifle. "Shit!"

Hancock's head snapped over at that. "Are you all right, Sir?"

"Fine," Billy replied with a short nod, jamming his Magnum back into its holster and grabbing his shotgun. "Head for the chopper, Hancock. I'll try to buy you some time. If I'm not there by the time everyone else is, leave without me."

"But, Sir" Hancock seemed appalled by the suggestion.

"That's an _order_, Corporal."

For a moment, it looked like Hancock was going to argue with him. But finally, his shoulders slumped. "Yes, sir."

"Get moving."

* * *

"What do you mean you left him behind?"

Hancock winced at the shout. Although shorter than the rest of the unit and slight of build, Kenya Strong had one hell of a set of lung. Shoving aside the urge to back away, Hancock protested, "I _had_ to! He gave me a direct order!"

Strong didn't seem willing to give him much in the way of sympathy. "I can't believe you left him behind! We gotta go back for him."

"Enough, both of you," Hutchinson said sharply, breaking up the fight before it could really get started. "We have our orders. We're here and he's not. We're out of here."

"We _can't_ leave him, Lieutenant!" Morrison burst out. "Marines don't abandon one of their own."

Strong nodded. "I'm with him. Who knows what the Snakes'll do to him?"

"This isn't a debate, people." Hutchinson replied firmly.

"You're right," Hopper said, stepping out of the chopper and folding his arms over his chest. Strong's exact opposite, Hopper was a solidly built man who was easily the tallest out of the unit. As such, he made a very effective barrier when he wanted to. "It isn't. And I, for one, ain't goin' anywhere without the big guy." As he spoke, the others nodded in agreement.

Hutchinson sighed heavily. "You're going to get all of us a court martial, you realize this?"

"Oh, get the ramrod out of your ass, Hutch," Strong snapped. "Let's just get him back and get the hell out of here before we're taking a _corpse_ back to base instead of a Marine, huh?"

* * *

'Why didn't they listen? Why the hell didn't they leave me there?' Billy thought miserably, running along beside the medics as they rushed Freeman and Hancock toward the Infirmary's ER. He was bleeding himself, but paid it no heed. His own injuries paled considerably by comparison to those of his teammates, and he waved off the doctors who kept trying to examine him.

Their escape had been a lucky one, there was no question about that. Not a single member of the unit went unscathed. Hancock and Freeman had taken the worst of the injuries, however, volunteering to take up the rear of their retreating group. It was the kind of thing Billy had worried about from the moment they touched down. He'd watched Hancock and Freeman fall, victims of Cobra gunfire. It had been too much.

Ghosts of the past danced in his mind's eye, keeping him from really noticing when a nurse caught him by the arm and led him off so that his injuries could finally be tended to. The wounds themselves were nothing terribly severe. However, because of the insanely high potential for infection because of the kind of work they did, the medical staff had been instructed to make sure Billy's unit received prompt medical care, even over small injuries incurred on the battlefield. Billy hadn't struggled, hadn't argued, and had nearly earned himself a full psych evaluation with his lack of response to the medics. He'd only barely managed to explain it away as worry for his teammates.

The debriefing with Duke hadn't gone terribly well either, at least not in Billy's eyes. Billy had given the large blonde a full account of the events as they'd happened, only omitting the blatant insubordination by his team members when they'd come back to rescue him. They _had_ saved his life, and Billy felt he owed them that much. Duke hadn't been pleased to find out about the information leak, but that hadn't been surprising. Once that debriefing was finished, Billy headed back to the Infirmary. Not only to see his wounded teammates, but to try and find Edwin; he needed to see his friend. Whether Billy wanted to admit it or not, Edwin was a soothing presence to him, and he needed that stability right now -- desperately.

A little asking around told Billy that Edwin had been shipped out on a humanitarian mission earlier that day, however, and no one was sure when he'd be back. Billy thanked the nurse, who identified herself as Lieutenant Sorensen, and then headed down into the Intensive Care Ward to sit with Freeman and Hancock. His own comfort would have to wait, so he would content himself with being there for his unit.

It was going to be a long wait.

* * *

Duke sat quietly at his desk after Devil Dog had departed; his fingers steepled together as he mused. Duke didn't like it when missions went wrong, specifically missions against Cobra, and the fact that the terrorist group had been waiting to ambush Devil Dog's team only rubbed more salt into the proverbial wound. Until just recently, the Joes seemed to be getting the upper hand with Cobra, managing to spoil every scheme and scam that the organization had tried to put into motion. Now, with the introduction of Umbrella and the T-Virus, Cobra had upped the ante so to speak, opening the door to a new kind of threat and warfare, one which the Joes – despite the addition of Devil Dog's bio-weapons unit – were not really prepared for. Each of the randomly found mutated bodies that the Joes had retrieved had been like a slap in the face to the team, in Duke's mind. It was as if Cobra were taunting the Joes to try and stop them.

The blonde had a feeling that Devil Dog had omitted a few details from his story, his gut telling him that something else had happened. Something that had nothing to do with the information leak and, judging from the look in the other man's eyes, more to do with the injuries to the two young recruits under his command. Duke could understand Devil Dog wanting to protect his unit; the Joe Field Commander had observed them training, seen what a tight-knit group they had become under the Marine's leadership. On one hand, that could be seen as very good thing. On the other, it could also become a liability under certain conditions, and judging from what Duke had read between the lines, tonight must have been those conditions – one that hopefully would not be repeated.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Lifeline was jostled a bit in his seat as the plane touched down, its landing gear bouncing slightly on the asphalt runway. Unconsciously his hand went to the shoulder harness of the safety belt he was wearing as the plane bounced once more before completing it's landing, slowing as it taxied down the runway. The medic smiled a bit, thinking of the mission he had just completed, his dark eyes glancing at the others seated around him. While the Joes were primarily a combat force, they also participated in humanitarian missions on an as needed basis, providing supplies and medical assistance in the wake of catastrophes around the world.

Edwin and the others had been called in to assist refugees in South East Asia after devastating and deadly floods had racked the area. The medic was hungry, dirty and hovering on the edge of exhaustion, but Lifeline smiled to himself, 'I wouldn't have it any other way.' These were the kind of missions that meant the most to him – to know that he was doing some good in the world, and it helped to reaffirm his belief not only in his job, but in humanity in general.

The plane slowed noticeably as it approached the hangar, eventually coming to a complete stop several minutes later. Within seconds, Edwin had the safety belt undone and was reaching under the seat to retrieve his pack, another small smile finding it's way to his lips as he thought about what the pack held – drawings given to him by several of the young children that he'd treated, thank you gifts for "Doctor Joe".

It took several minutes for the team to disembark, Lifeline one of the last to leave the plane. Shouldering his pack, he made his way over to one of the waiting Jeeps, his friend Lift Ticket being one of the drivers who had been dispatched to bring the returning team back to headquarters. Edwin and Lift Ticket made small talk about the completed mission during the short drive, the Oklahoma native inquiring about how things had gone and how he had wanted to be one of the pilots but got bumped. Lifeline answered the pilot's questions, the banter giving him something to focus on so that he didn't give in to the exhaustion that was starting to finally take its toll. As the Jeep came to a stop in front of the main complex building, Edwin once again took up his pack and jumped down. Giving Lift Ticket a wave, he headed inside.

Almost without thought, Lifeline headed straight for the men's locker room, intent on a shower at least; although as he walked, his hand came up to rub at his chin, the rough stubble more than enough proof that he hadn't been able to shave either, even if the shadow darkening his jaw wasn't. It was late, almost midnight and the hallways were just about deserted. Pushing open the door to the locker room, the medic set his bag down on the bench that ran the length of the locker-lined room and started to undress.

* * *

The locker room was more or less deserted, amplifying even soft sounds to almost eerie portions in the stillness. Still, Billy didn't notice Edwin at all as he all but stumbled into the locker room. He was worn out, and had been sent out of the Infirmary by the medics, who warned him to rest and actually eat something. They understood Billy's concern for his subordinates, and sympathized with him, but weren't about to let the Marine collapse from personal neglect. Once he'd gotten out of the Infirmary, Billy had decided against food, wanting a shower and a shave first, in the hopes it might make him feel more human.

* * *

Lifeline had his boots and uniform jacket off, and was just about to pull the t-shirt he was wearing up and over his head when the door to the locker room opened. With his glasses off so that he could undress, the medic's vision was slightly fuzzy as he looked over to see who it was. Billy didn't notice the scrutiny as he entered and passed silently down the row of lockers until he came to his own. Giving the lock a glare, he took a slow breath and began to enter the combination.

Even with his less than perfect vision, Edwin recognized the Marine as he moved past, the small smile that found its way to his lips giving way to a frown when Billy didn't acknowledge him. Reaching down to retrieve his glasses from the bench, the medic resettled the wire frames on his face and moved towards the other man. "Billy?"

The sound of his name broke the Marine's concentration and he resisted the urge to smack the locker when the door remained stubbornly sealed. He looked over and managed a faint smile. "Hey. Just get back?"

The medic nodded his head, the frown still firmly on his face, sensing something "off" with the Marine.

"Glad you made it back safe." Billy turned his eyes from Edwin in favor of trying to fight with the lock again.

Lifeline's dark brows crooked in puzzlement at the seeming dismissal from the Marine. Reaching out, he put his hand over Billy's, stilling it. "Billy . . ." he repeated the name softly, his eyes on the profile of the other man's face. Billy's eyes closed at the touch, his hand trembling under Edwin's as he fought to keep from losing his composure.

'His mission . . .' Edwin squeezed his dark eyes closed for a moment as the realization hit him, and he couldn't help the feeling of guilt that came with it – he'd been so wrapped up in his own mission that he'd completely forgotten about Billy's. Lifting his hand from the Marine's, he put it to the side of the other man's face to turn it towards him. "They knew...I don't know how they fucking knew, but they knew," Billy whispered, not daring to open his eyes, knowing he'd lose it for sure if he did.

The medic's eyes slid closed as he swallowed at the Marine's tone. "H-How bad?" Edwin asked, his voice hushed.

"Freeman and Hancock are down," Billy said quietly, shaking his head. "They're in pretty bad shape..."

The news pained Edwin – any injury to one of his teammates did. He didn't know the members of Billy's unit personally, although he was marginally familiar with Hancock. The young medic had been recommended to Billy by Lifeline when the Marine had expressed his desire to have someone with medical training for his unit. But whether Edwin knew them personally or not, they were fellow Joes and that was more than enough for him to feel concerned for them.

His dark eyes were full of worry as he looked at Billy, seeing the pain on his friend's face. Heedless of where they were, Lifeline slid his hand into the dark hair at the back of the Marine's head, pulling it towards his, until their foreheads were touching. The trembling in Billy's hand had long since spread to the rest of him, and he swallowed hard. "I've been staying down in the Infirmary with them...I want to be there when they wake up..." He said. Silently, he added, 'I need to see that they _will_ wake up'.

Unconsciously, Edwin slid his arm around Billy's waist, as he moved closer to embrace the Marine. "We'll take good care of them, I promise."

"I know you will...you guys saved _my_ ass, after all..." was the hoarse, whispered reply, as Billy slumped against Edwin.

The medic's fingers gently combed through the dark hair at the back of Billy's head as he held him, feeling the trembling in the other man's well cut frame. "God, I'm sorry . . . I wanted to be here when you got back . . . "

"...wasn't your fault..."

Edwin remained silent, holding the Marine in his embrace. Billy had been worried about the mission, concerned for his young and inexperienced team. Now, with two of them lying in the infirmary gravelly injured, Lifeline was sure that Billy was blaming himself and he wanted to give the dark-haired man whatever support he could. Billy needed that support, more than he cared to admit, as he clung to Edwin tightly. He wasn't able to partake of it as long as he would have liked, however, as their surroundings crept back into his consciousness again and he pulled back a little, wiping irritably at his eyes. Reluctantly, Lifeline let Billy go, his dark eyes still full of concern and worry. "You look like hell, " he said softly, noticing the dark circles under the Marine's eyes and his disheveled appearance for the first time.

"Thanks," was the quiet reply, accompanied by a weak ghost of a smile.

Edwin started to bring his hand up towards Billy, but thought better of it in deference to their surroundings. "When was the last time you slept or had anything to eat?"

"Uhh..." Billy couldn't answer the question. He honestly couldn't remember. He knew that he must have rested, and probably eaten, but the days since he'd returned from the aborted mission had run together.

"Come home with me."

Billy's expression was uncertain. He'd been hoping since he found out Edwin had been shipped out that he wouldn't be gone long, and that he'd be able to see the medic. But leave? While Freeman and Hancock were in the Infirmary? "They'll call you on the comm if there's any change," the medic said, almost as if reading Billy's thoughts. Reaching out, he touched the Marine's arm briefly. "I'll make you breakfast and you can get some sleep. You won't do anyone any good running yourself ragged like this."

There was a tiny nod of agreement from Billy. "Okay."

"They'll be given the best care. You've got my personal guarantee on that." The medic smiled a bit.

"I trust you." Billy returned Edwin's smile with a shaky one of his own.

That made Lifeline's smile widen just a bit more, knowing that there weren't many people that the Marine did trust anymore after his experiences with Umbrella. "You can shower there, too, if you want."

"Sounds like a plan. We taking my truck?"

The medic nodded, "I'm not so sure I want to get behind a wheel right now. I've been up for the past thirty-six hours, so if I fall asleep on the way, don't take it personally."

"No problem...just one thing."

Edwin's dark head canted to the side questioningly. Another momentary smile crossed Billy's face. "My keys are in there and be damned if I can get the fucking thing to open..." He said, pointing irritably at the locker.

Lifeline couldn't help but laugh, a real full smile lighting up his face. "Helpless Marine . . . " he said with a slight shake of his head as he stepped closer to the locker. "What's the combination?"

"Hopeless, more like," Billy replied, then rattled off the numbers, sinking down onto the bench.

"Not hopeless," Edwin said, as he quickly spun the combination lock, following the sequence of numbers that Billy had given him. As the last tumbled into place, he reached for the handle and opened the locker.

"Says you," Billy said as he stood again, starting to strip out of the BDUs he was wearing.

"Says me," Lifeline affirmed, looking at the Marine. "And you should always listen to your doctor," he said with a slight smile before moving back to his own locker and gear.

"Yeah, yeah," was the Marine's reply as he changed. For all his bland tone, however, Billy couldn't deny that his heart felt a little lighter. For the first time, he felt like maybe things would be okay after all.

* * *

Just as he had joked, Lifeline had fallen asleep during the drive to his condo, Billy gently shaking him awake once he'd parked the truck and turned off the ignition. After dropping his things off in the bedroom, Edwin had headed to the kitchen, letting Billy take the shower first. Stacked on the counter was the week's mail, left by the woman who came in to clean for him. After taking a quick look through the various envelopes and other items, the medic started in with the promised breakfast so that it would be ready when Billy emerged.

Showering turned into more of an effort than Billy expected, mainly due to the fact that the time on the road left him drowsy. He managed to shave and make himself look presentable, however, by the time he wandered out of the bathroom.

The home fries were done and Edwin was just starting on a pan full of scrambled eggs with shredded cheese when the Marine joined him. Already poured and waiting on the counter were two glasses of orange juice, the medic preferring to forgo coffee until after he'd had some sleep. Walking up behind the medic, making just enough noise to be heard, Billy embraced the other man from behind, and tilted his head to let his forehead come to rest on Edwin's shoulder. Lifeline smiled at the unexpected embrace, canting his head to the side and back a bit to touch it to Billy's. "It's almost ready."

Billy nodded against Edwin's shoulder, but didn't relinquish his grip or say anything aloud. After a few moments, the medic lifted his head so that he could resume cooking, setting the pan to the side a few minutes later when the eggs were finished. Crossing his arms over his mid-section, he covered Billy's and looked back over his shoulder. "Still with me, soldier boy?"

There was another slight nod, and Billy smiled faintly. It occurred to him that Edwin was probably the only human being in the world who could call him "soldier boy" and not end up with a broken nose.

"A few bites and I promise I'll let you sleep."

That drew a weak, almost unheard chuckle from Billy. "Now you sound like my mother..."

Letting his arms slide away from the Marine's, Lifeline slowly turned in Billy's embrace until he was facing the other brunette. "I just hope you didn't go around kissing your mother like you did me the other night."

Billy pulled back enough to look Edwin in the eye. "I've been a bad influence on you," he said, the glint in his eye at odds with his scolding tone.

The medic smiled a bit. "Somehow, I don't think you're too upset by that."

"Nope..." After a few moments, the faint smile faded from Billy's face and he pulled Edwin close, laying his forehead on the medic's shoulder again.

Lifeline's dark eyes slid closed, his expressions sobering as he slid his arm around the Marine, while his hand came up to the back of Billy's head, his fingers gently combing through the still damp locks. Billy's own eyes closed at the gentle attention. "When are people going to actually listen when I tell 'em not to come back for me?" he whispered.

"It wasn't your fault, Billy," Edwin's voice was soft as tilted his head down, laying his cheek on the Marine's dark hair.

"Yeah, it was...if they'd listened...if they'd just listened..." He sighed. "We were ambushed, plain and simple."

Fingers continuing to gently comb through Billy's dark hair, Lifeline's arm tightened around the other man a bit. "They're young, Billy. It was their first real mission under fire. They made a mistake – we've all done it. "

"I know...I know..."

Edwin's dark eyes squeezed shut once more for a moment before he loosened his hold on the other man. "Beating yourself up over this isn't going to do anyone any good. You're exhausted and stressed out." The medic pulled back a little and reached for Billy's wrist, his tone firm as he spoke. "You need to eat something and get some sleep – real sleep."

Billy raked his free hand through his hair and nodded. "Yeah...you're right."

Lifeline pulled Billy over to the small breakfast bar and urged him into one of the high-backed stools. After setting one of the glasses of orange juice down in front of the Marine, he then quickly loaded up a plate for the brunette and placed it in front of him. "I appreciate this," Billy said softly, taking a sip of the juice as he waited for Edwin to join him. "Thanks."

The medic sat down next Billy, setting his plate down. "You don't have to keep thanking me for every little thing, Billy." He looked at the other brunette. "I care about you," he said simply.

The Marine parted his lips to speak, thought better of it and nodded, falling quietly to his meal. Edwin's dark eyes watched the man next to him for a few moments before he turned his attention to his own plate. The pair ate silently, the only sounds the clicking of silverware on the plates. Despite his earlier hunger, Lifeline found that his appetite had diminished and it wasn't long before he pushed his plate back. "Think I'm going to go get a shower," he said to Billy as he started to rise to his feet. "Don't worry about the dishes, I'll take care of them."

"Alright."

Pausing behind Billy's chair, the medic slipped his arm around the other man's shoulder and over his chest. Leaning down a bit, he pressed a quick soft kiss the side of the Marine's neck before straightening back up and releasing Billy from his embrace. Without a word, Lifeline left the kitchen.

Billy shivered just a little at the touch of lips to his skin, and watched quietly as Edwin walked out of the kitchen. Moments later he stood, clearing off the table, and then dealing with the plates before leaving them in the sink to be washed later. That task finished, he headed for the balcony, intent on a smoke before sleeping.

Edwin made his way to the bathroom, quickly stripping off his clothes and climbing into the shower. He stood there for several minutes with his eyes closed, just letting the hot water sluice over his dark head before he picked up the soap.

* * *

After toweling his hair dry, Lifeline looked at his reflection in the medicine cabinet mirror, contemplating whether it was worth the effort to shave since he'd more than likely have to do it again once he woke up the next morning. A deep yawn made his mind up for him, and after tossing the towel over the shower door to dry, he pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms.

Shirtless, the medic padded back out to the kitchen, surprised to see that Billy had apparently cleared things up for the most part. Edwin was tempted to finish the job, but just like shaving, he decided it could wait until the morning. Turning off the light as he left, Lifeline passed through the condo, turning off lights as he made his way to the bedroom. Billy wasn't too far behind the medic, long used to navigating the condo in the dark, since it wasn't uncommon for him to need a cigarette in the middle of the night. Fatigue was pulling at him heavily as he moved.

Lifeline was turning down the bed when Billy wandered in. Edwin had already removed his glasses, leaving them on the nightstand next to his comm link so that they'd be in easy reach if needed. For the second time that night, Billy slipped up behind the medic and embraced him, fatigue and the stress of the previous days making him hungry for friendly human contact. Edwin couldn't help but smile, slipping his arms up to cover Billy's as he leaned back a little against the other man. Billy's arms tightened a little at that, but he remained silent as he simply held the medic, letting his eyes drift closed.

Lifeline remained silent as well, liking the feel of the Marine's strong arms around him, the press of Billy's chest against his back. Unconsciously, his fingertips glided in lazy circles over Billy's bicep, trailing over the tribal-style tattoo that covered the other man's arm from shoulder to wrist. The Marine shivered just a little at the touch; the scarred, inked flesh had always been a little more sensitive, a nice side-effect to the markings. "Cold?" the medic asked softly, misreading the slight movement he had felt against his back.

"Nope. That skin's a little bit sensitive. Has been since I got it inked." There was a small but unmistakable smile in Billy's voice as he murmured.

Glancing downward, Edwin could see the outline of the lettering, Billy's arm being close enough for him to make it out somewhat clearly. His fingertips still trailing over the marked skin, they slid down a little, tracing the "O" in the word "Love".

Another faint shiver passed through Billy at the touch, his smile growing as he nuzzled the side of Edwin's neck very lightly. The affectionate gesture was almost experimental in its lightness. Lifeline's eyes slid closed at the soft, feather-like touch, his fingers stilling on Billy's forearm. "...That okay?" Billy whispered softly. The medic nodded his head slowly and gave the Marine's forearm a slight squeeze of reassurance.

"Okay." After a moment, Billy nuzzled Lifeline again, less hesitantly this time.

Imperceptibly, Edwin's breath caught in his throat a little, his fingertips once again trailing over the warm flesh of Billy's tattooed arm. The touch drew a very soft sound somewhere deep in Billy's throat and he pressed a single, warm kiss to the back of Edwin's neck. A visible shiver went down the medic's spine, his fingers tightening on the Marine's forearm. Smiling at that, Billy let his lips brush the skin again. Although they'd rarely indulged in such affection, hell hadn't even _kissed_ until the night prior to his last mission, Billy couldn't help but feel a little curious now, his usual reservations lost in a haze of drowsiness.

A soft sound escaped from Lifeline's lips, his arms sliding away from Billy's so that he could turn in the Marine's embrace until he was facing the other brunette. As Edwin turned, Billy actually took the chance to get a good look at the medic without his glasses, something he'd seen often enough, but never really paid attention to. Edwin's chocolate brown gaze met Billy's, and he tilted his head a little at the scrutiny. The curious look was endearing, and Billy smiled, his own deep blue eyes unwavering as they met the other man's gaze. Leaning in closer, Lifeline pressed his lips against the Marine's, his arms slipping around Billy's waist. A purr and a firmly returned embrace was Edwin's reward, and Billy's eyes slid closed as he stepped a little closer to the medic. Clenching a handful of Billy's t-shirt in his hand, the medic sought to intensify the kiss, the press of his lips much more firm. Billy's lips parted a fraction, tongue slipping out to touch Edwin's lips lightly, the request obvious but not demanding. Without any hesitation, Lifeline's lips flowered open in answer to Billy's silent request. The medic made a soft sound in his throat as their tongues met for the first time.

The Marine's arms tightened around Edwin and he moaned as the kiss deepened. Tilting his head slightly to better seal their lips together, he let his tongue brush along its like slowly. His hand still clenching Billy's shirt, Lifeline's other arm slid up, his fingers tangling in the dark hair at the back of the other man's neck as their bodies pressed closer together. All of his earlier exhaustion was forgotten as the kiss went on, his tongue twining with Billy's.

It was only for the necessity of breathing that Billy finally broke that kiss, not moving away from Lifeline so much as a fraction of an inch as he tried to catch his breath. Edwin was sure he could feel the beat of Billy's heart, the light soft cotton of the brunette's shirt the only barrier between his bare chest and that of the Marine. His dark eyes still closed, the medic swallowed as he too tried to catch his breath and regain his composure. "Damn..." Billy breathed, smiling as he spoke.

Lifeline blushed faintly, an almost shy smile finding its way to his lips as well. "Yeah . . ."

"Think we oughta lay down, at least?" Billy asked a few moments later.

"P-Probably a good idea," Edwin let go of the Marine's shirt and started to pull away slowly, almost reluctantly from the other man's embrace.

Billy didn't let him get far, perhaps sensing that reluctance as he turned them both around, backing toward the bed and sliding onto it, pulling Edwin down gently after him. The medic sank down next to Billy, his dark eyes on the Marine. "I'm glad...I decided to come stay tonight," Billy said quietly.

"I . . . I'm glad too." Lifeline's voice was soft as he looked at the man next to him.

Billy smiled, and leaned in, giving Edwin a soft kiss.

The medic met Billy halfway, tilting his dark head to the side as their lips touched.

* * *

"I'm growing tired of all these failures, Baronessss."

"We would have had Coen if his subordinates hadn't disobeyed his orders . . ."

"I'm tired of all the excusesss as well."

"The plan was perfect, Cobra Commander," the raven-haired woman's accent put an emphasis on the letter "r" as she addressed the blue-clad man sitting a few feet above her.

"If it was so perfect, Baronesss, then why isn't William Coen in our custody right now?"

The Baroness' blurry reflection shone in the smooth silver of the face shield that the man wore. "As I said, it was his subordinates . . . "

"There was no way to predict that the soldiers under Coen's command would disobey him, Commander." The deep male voice spoke from the shadows moments before its owner stepped into the light.

Destro made a striking figure as he approached the dais. A tall, well cut man, the black fabric of his uniform clinging to his muscular frame, the light glinted off the silver mask that covered not only his face, but his entire head. It was said that generations ago, a member of the former arms dealer's family had been sentenced to wear a similar mask for unspeakable crimes. Since that time, at least one male in every generation had donned a silver mask to honor that ancestor, who they believed had been unjustly convicted. There were few who had ever seen the imposing man's true visage; and fewer still were those that had lived afterwards.

"Dessstro . . ." Cobra Commander's raspy voice hissed out the other man's name. "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

"I merely wished to hear the Baroness's report," came the smooth reply as Destro joined the black-clad woman.

"That interested in your lover's failuresss?" There was a hint of amusement in The Commander's voice which caused the Baroness to visibly bristle.

Destro seemed unperturbed by the comment. "Not at all, Commander. I merely wised to see if I might be of service in some way – perhaps offer some suggestions on Coen's capture."

"I have it in hand, Destro." The Baroness' dark eyes glanced at the tall man.

"Indeed?" Cobra Commander leaned forward a bit.

"Yes, Commander. Even as we speak my agent is preparing the masterstroke that will deliver William Coen into our hands and deal with the Joes in one fell swoop."

The blue clad man stroked the chin of the silver mask. "So you say, Baronesss. Who is this agent?"

"A spy, Sire – placed within the Joes."

"Ingenious my dear Baroness," Destro said, inclining his head slightly at the woman. "So that's how you obtained the information on their attempted strike."

"Yes. I've been informed of Coen's every move since he joined the Joes."

"Clever," the Commander commented. "But ineffective since he's still with them."

"Not for long Commander, I assure you." The Baroness said, her eyes intent on Cobra Commander. "There is no way he can escape this time."

"You had better hope not, Baronesss – for your own sake."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The week following Lifeline's return to The Pit was relatively quiet. After making his mission report to Duke, the medic returned to his duties in the infirmary. Although their care had been assigned to other staff, Edwin kept tabs on the progress of Billy's two injured team members, checking on them daily and apprising the Marine of their progress. Hancock's recovery was coming along fairly well, the doctor in charge of his case apparently quite pleased with his progress. Freeman however, had not been so lucky and was still listed in critical condition. Her family had been notified as to the severity of her injuries, with her parents flying in almost immediately. Edwin made a point to stop by the private's room each day and talk to her parents for a few moments, hoping to offer them some moral support during what he knew was a difficult time.

The medic was in one of the main corridors, on his way to see Duke regarding an order for a new piece of equipment for the infirmary when he was almost mowed down by Beach Head and Gung Ho, the two men running down the hallway at top speed. 'What the . . .?' Edwin jumped back out of the way, but not quite fast enough as Gung Ho clipped his shoulder, the impact from the bald Cajun causing him to stumble backwards a few steps. "Sorry, Lifeline," the big Marine called over his shoulder. "Can't keep Duke waitin'."

'Duke?' Lifeline's dark brows quirked together in puzzlement. He opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but the two men had already rounded the corner.

Still puzzled, the medic adjusted his grip on the clipboard he was holding and continued on his way. He was just crossing the corridor that led back to the infirmary when he saw Main Frame. "Hey, Buddy," the computer tech said as the two met up.

Lifeline gave his friend a quick smile. "Aren't you out of your jurisdiction? I don't usually see you down here."

"That was before that cute blonde nurse got transferred in," Main Frame said with a wink.

"Lieutenant Sorenson, huh?"

"Oh yeah. Quite a looker, isn't she?" The tech asked, nudging at his friend. "Granted she isn't a beautiful rich heiress . . ."

"Main Frame . . ." There was a slight tone of warning in Edwin's voice.

"Gee, man, you have like no sense of humor."

"Not when it comes to joking about Bree, I don't."

The computer specialist looked at Edwin. "Speaking of the lovely Ms. Van Mark, what's up with you two? She hasn't been around in a while. She finally dump you?"

"That's really not any of your business," the medic replied. "We've both been very busy lately."

"Uh huh," Main Frame said, nodding his head as he gave Lifeline a knowing look. Without giving the red and white clad man a chance to speak, the tech continued on. "Did you hear? There was another body. Duke's got a team mobilizing right now."

"What?" It was clear from his obvious surprise that the medic had not. "But two of Bil – Devil Dog's team are still down."

"It's not them. He's sending somebody else out to retrieve it and recon the area." Edwin thought of Beach Head and Gung Ho running down the hall and he put two and two together. "Guess after what happened, Duke didn't want to take any chances." Main Frame said. "Anyway, I've got to be getting back. I asked Dial Tone to cover for me."

Lifeline silently nodded his head, his brain mulling over this latest revelation. Clapping the medic on the shoulder, Main Frame continued on his way. Edwin remained in the corridor for several moments afterwards before turning back the way he had just come, intent on finding Billy.

* * *

He didn't have to look hard. Since his return, Billy had been splitting his time between his two wounded team members, and taking care of the paperwork that Hutchinson had been keeping in order for him. She seemed to sense his distress, and his overall dislike for paperwork, and hadn't complained a bit at the extra duties. It was something Billy was exceedingly thankful for, as it gave him that much more time to see to his two injured subordinates.

* * *

Lifeline found Billy sitting in Marcel Hancock's room, the injured corporal sleeping comfortably after a round of tests earlier in the morning. Unlike Jocelyn Freeman, his family had been unable to make the trip out to Utah to see him, the elderly grandmother who had raised him being too frail to travel. Stopping in the opened doorway, the medic lightly rapped on the wooden frame. Billy looked up at Edwin, and it was clear from his expression that the Marine was none too happy.

Stepping into the room, Lifeline moved towards the bed. Ever the healer, his trained eyes flicked over Hancock's prone form for a moment before turning his attention to Billy. "They found another one," Billy said softly.

Edwin nodded his head, "I heard."

Billy looked away from the medic then, looking down at Hancock. "They're sending in another team."

"Have you seen Duke?"

Billy nodded. "Yeah, just for a couple minutes when I was on my way down here. All he said was that there was another body and they were mobilizing a fresh team..."

"Maybe he thought it was for the best since yours is down two members right now." The medic offered up.

"Yeah...maybe."

Edwin could hear the defeated tone in his friend's voice, and it was all he could do to keep himself from reaching out to him. Billy didn't really notice, his attention wandering back to Hancock as a frown touched his features. While the Marine was, in general, fairly well-liked, there were some among the denizens of the Pit who hadn't been too happy to hear about the Lieutenant being handed a new unit right off the bat. And truth be told, after everything that had happened, he wasn't so sure those nay sayers were wrong. "It's not a reflection on you Billy," Lifeline said quietly after a few moments. "It's just one of those decisions that commanders have to make. Duke is just doing what he thinks is best under the circumstances."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Billy said aloud, more to help convince himself than anything. "We're two folks down right now, after all...they just needed a team at peak performance..."

The medic tucked the clipboard he was holding under his arm. "Speaking of . . . I heard that Freeman is going to be transferred out to Walter Reed."

Billy looked up at that, hand dropping toward the pack of cigarettes in his pocket before he remembered where he was. Catching himself, he let his hand drop to his side. "I hadn't heard that one yet..."

"I only heard about it earlier. Her progress hasn't been quite what we were hoping for. The facilities at Reed are some of the best in the country."

"When are they shipping her out?"

"Tomorrow, I think. Her parents are going with her." Lifeline's voice was soft as he spoke, his dark eyes glancing at the sleeping form of Marcel Hancock briefly before settling once more on Billy.

"Thanks for letting me know," Billy said softly, giving a final look to his unconscious subordinate before turning away from the bed. Although he was facing the medic now, the Marine's eyes were anywhere but on Lifeline.

Edwin's dark eyes were full of concern as he looked at the man in front of him. In the time that he'd known Billy, the Marine had never seemed as depressed as he did now. Even when their situation had looked bleak, Billy had managed to keep his head together and not let things visibly get to him. But looking at the dark-haired man now, the medic couldn't help but wonder if maybe his friend hadn't taken on too much too soon – if Billy's decision to join the Joes might not have been a little impulsive.

The Marine closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and composed himself before looking up at Edwin. Seeing the concern there, he said simply, "I told you too much time to think was a bad thing for me."

Lifeline briefly reached out and touched Billy's arm. "You've still got five other people who look up to you as their commanding officer, Billy. _We'll_ take care of Freeman and Hancock, but _you_ need to take care of them. If anything, it will give you something else to focus on."

Billy smiled faintly at the touch, and nodded his head once. "You're right...And I've got a couple days off coming up, barring anything extraordinary happening. Maybe I'll head down to see Robby."

"I think that's a great idea," Edwin said with a faint smile of his own. "I'm sure he'd love to see you. It would be a nice surprise."

"Might help me get my head back together, too. God knows if it hadn't been for you and Hutch helping me out, I'd be a lost damned cause."

"You are not, and never will be, a lost cause, Billy." The medic admonished softly as he shifted slightly to put his back to the still slumbering Hancock. "Why don't you come over tonight?" Edwin's voice fell to almost a whisper. "I just restocked the fridge with beer."

Billy nodded at that. "Count me in. Should I bring over something for dinner?" He asked, his own tone just as soft.

"If you want, or we could just order something in. Whatever you want."

"We'll figure it out tonight, I guess." Billy exhaled a breath. "All right, I guess I should get going. I've got shit to do I've been putting off way too long. See you tonight."

Edwin nodded his head, giving the Marine a faint smile. "Just let yourself in."

* * *

Slithering through the cool metal of the ventilation shaft, the black-clad figure paused momentarily to adjust the pack strapped to its back. Continuing its forward movement once again, the figure silently made its way through the maze of man-made tunnels, its route and destination committed to memory by several prior practice runs. It was late into the night, most of the compound's inhabitants asleep and unaware, content in the security of their base – a mistake that they would realize all too soon.

Another fifteen minutes of shimmying through the shaft brought the silent invader to a metal grate and the figure paused once again, its eyes peeking through the screen and flicking around the dimly lit room. As quietly as possible, the figure pushed and removed the grate, settling it on the side of the metal tunnel before lithely dropping down to the floor below. On silent feet, the infiltrator moved towards the large mass of ventilation equipment in the center of the room. Slipping the pack from its shoulders, the figure knelt down and opened it.

Climbing back up into the ventilations shaft, the masked figure replaced the grate and gave the room one last look, a slight smile tugging at its lips as its gaze locked on the device that had been attached to the side of the ventilation unit and filtered into the system. Backing up slowly, the unknown invader began to retreat back the way it had traveled while a small red light on the device it had left started to flicker as the black box began to pump its contents into the compound's ventilation system.

* * *

The almost deafening ring of the alarm sounded throughout The Pit, stirring the Joes into action. "This is not a drill. I repeat this is not a drill." The voice that sounded over the compound's public address system was calm and authoritative, repeating its message over and over.

Dashing down the hallway from his office, Edwin skidded to a stop as he entered the Infirmary proper. "What's going on?" he asked of no one in particular, the Infirmary's staff hustling to and fro.

"Something was found in the ventilation system, "one of the orderlies responded, his arms laden with several bright orange environmental suits.

Lifeline's dark brows knitted together, his eyes falling on the suits. "Good god." Just then, the comm on his wrist came to life, a series of beeps issuing loudly from the device. "Lifeline here," he answered, holding his wrist up so that he could hear over the general alarm.

"Get down to the basement level, stat." The words barked out from the comm.

"On my way," The medic replied, already moving towards the door. "What's the situation?" He asked, hurrying down the corridor while trying to keep from colliding with any of the other staff also bustling on their way somewhere else.

Dial Tone's voice answered him. "Security sweep found something in one of the main ventilation shafts. Tripwire is down there now with Flint and Sci-Fi. Whatever it is, it's not a bomb – or at least not anything they've ever seen."

Edwin frowned as he listened, pushing open the door to the fire stairs and darting down them. Pausing on the landing, the medic quickly switched channels. "Tripwire?"

"Who is this?"

"Lifeline," the medic answered as he continued his trek down the stairs, with only a few more floors to go before reaching the utility basement. "What's the situation?"

"Routine security sweep turned up something – some kind of device hooked into the ventilation system. It's not a bomb as far as I can tell, but it's pumping _something_ into the ventilation shaft."

Lifeline blanched. "Jesus H. Christ!" Hitting the bottom step he quickly pulled open the fire door and darted down the hallway in the direction of the main utility room.

"You ain't kidding," the Joe's explosives expert replied.

* * *

As he rounded the corner, Edwin slowed as he sighted the small group just outside of the door to the main utility room. "Lifeline!" Flint hailed the medic, immediately zeroing in on the red and white clad man. "Over here," he said with a wave of his hand.

Picking up his pace a little, Lifeline quickly closed the gap between them, frowning slightly as it dawned on him that none of those assembled were wearing environmental suits. As he joined the ranger, the medic's eyes fell on Tripwire and Sci-Fi, the two Joes just inside the doorway to the room. "It's in here," Flint said hooking his thumb over his shoulder before turning to head into the utility room. Without any hesitation, Lifeline followed the other man.

Tripwire and Sci-Fi both nodded in greeting, the two men standing to the side to reveal the box like device that was definitely not a part of the original ventilation equipment. "I almost thought it was a dummy until I heard the hissing," Tripwire said, moving back a bit more so that Lifeline could get a better look. "I can't smell or see anything, but the thing is definitely releasing something."

Edwin looked at the device, his eyes following the tubes that flowed from it and into the main ventilation shaft. His ears picked up the soft hiss that Tripwire had mentioned, his stomach feeling like it was being tied in knots as he realized the implications. "We've got to quarantine the base, Flint." The medic's dark eyes looked up at the ranger. "We've got to lock it down now!" There was an almost frantic tone to Lifeline's voice.

Without a comment, Flint raised his arm. "Dial Tone?"

"Right here, Flint."

"Sound general quarters, we're locking down the base."

* * *

"If anyone complains about so much as a headache, a sniffle or a cough, send them down to the main ward." Lifeline's tone was firm and serious as he moved among the triage stations, checking on the Infirmary staff.

Within fifteen minutes of the base lock down, the Pit's medical staff was mobilized and ready. Four basic triage units had been set up in the long corridor that led to the hospital ward proper. While the substance that had been released into the ventilation system had yet to be identified, it was deemed prudent to begin checking for signs of possible poisoning or biological infection. Unit by unit, the Joes, their recruits and support staff were being filtered through the Infirmary for physical examinations and blood screenings. Despite the wait, there was very little grumbling from those in line, the seriousness of the situation having been impressed on everyone from the outset. Anyone who had a complaint, no matter how small, was kept aside for additional tests – the number of which had thankfully been small so far.

* * *

Elsewhere in the Pit, Billy and his own unit were suited up, giving their weapons one last once-over, and waiting anxiously to find out news about what was going on elsewhere. As soon as he had everyone armed and accounted for, Billy flicked on his comm and set it to Lifeline's frequency, knowing the medic would have a better idea than anyone what was going on. After waiting far too long, and and getting no reply from Edwin, and no further information about the alert, Billy finally decided to head for the Infirmary. His unit was antsy for some kind of clue as to what was going on. Not only did it give him a perfectly legit reason to seek Edwin out, it also gave him something to do, which kept him from going stir-crazy. As he reached the Infirmary, and saw the unusual amount of activity, it only gave him a little more purpose to his step as he sought out the medic.

* * *

Lifeline clicked off the small pen light and straightened up, the Green Shirt whose eyes he had been examining blinking several times to clear his vision. "Follow the hall down to the main ward and someone there will be with you shortly," the medic ordered, making a few notes on the man's chart before handing it to him. "Give this to the nurse at the table."

"Yes, Sir." The recruit stood and saluted before heading towards the indicated direction.

Taking a few moments to discard the latex gloves he was wearing and replace them with a fresh pair, Lifeline signaled for the next patient. It didn't take Billy too long to find Edwin, but he remained on the fringes of the crowd, his desire for news outweighed by his desire not to get in the way of whatever the hell was going on. Moving at a brisk yet thorough pace, Lifeline moved through the examination, questioning the recruit as he worked. Satisfied with the answers and his own findings, he then prepped the soldier and drew a sample of blood, carefully labeling the tube and placing it in the near full tray to be screened in the main lab. Taking a moment to quickly scan the other stations before calling for the next patient, the medic's gaze found Billy hovering off to the side.

When Billy met Edwin's eye, he skirted around the edge of the group and murmured. "Mind filling me in on just what the hell's going on? We've been mobilized for the better part of an hour, and no one's telling us a thing."

"Dang darlin'! What do you think I am, a human pin cushion?" Wild Bill's Texas drawl rang out from one of the stations, drawing Edwin's attention momentarily before he turned back to Billy, his manner a bit hesitant as he looked at the Marine. After a few moments, he turned away towards the next closest station. "Davidson, take over here." Snapping off the gloves he was wearing, he tossed them in the trash bin before signaling for Billy to follow him.

Lifeline led Billy a short distance away to a juncture in the hallway that led to the main ward in one direction and his small office in the other. The Marine followed in silence, already knowing he wasn't going to like what Edwin had to tell him. The medic continued on until he was about halfway down the hall that led to his office before stopping and turning towards Billy. Halting a few steps after Edwin did, the Marine crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the medic. He remained silent, the edgy feeling in the pit of his stomach not subsiding a bit. "What have you heard?" Lifeline asked without preamble.

"Nothing at all. The high alert went into effect, my team was mobilized, and we're supposed to wait for further instructions. No one's said anything to me since. I've heard some rumblings in the hallways about something in the air system, but nothing real specific."

Edwin nodded his head a bit. "There was something planted in the main ventilation unit. Security found it during their monthly sweep."

"Shit. Lemme guess," Billy said, jerking a thumb back toward the direction they'd come. "We don't know just what it was."

"Or how long it's been there," the medic added.

"So where is it now? The device, I mean."

"It's down in the containment lab, not that it's going to do much good now but . . . Tripwire is down there with a group analyzing it to see if they can find out just what it was emitting." Edwin replied.

Billy shook his head, silent for several moments before he spoke again. "And the base..."

"Is locked down and under quarantine until further notice," the medic said grimly.

With a soft sigh, Billy nodded and shifted his weight to one foot, leaning against the wall. Bringing his wrist up, he reset the frequency. "Hutch, come in."

A few seconds and a small crackle of static later, Hutchinson's voice came back. "Go ahead."

"Tell the boys and girls to stand by. They're going to need to report to the Infirmary for a check over."

"What's going on over there?"

"Found something suspect, and they're locking down the base. Everyone's getting a once-over by the med-techs. Make sure all of our unit is checked. No excuses, no exceptions."

"Ten-Four. Hutchinson out."

Edwin stood quietly, his eyes on Billy while the Marine communicated with his second in command.

Billy lowered the communicator, his hand dropping reflexively for his cigarettes before he hooked a thumb in his belt instead. "Well, shit."

"That's an understatement," Lifeline said dryly.

"Something I've been told I'm good at," Billy replied just as dryly. "...I need to find a way to call off-base, though. My kid needs to know I'm not going to be able to come out like I planned."

"Anything outside is strictly emergency or official business only."

"Tell me something I don't know." Billy said, pushing away from the wall irritably. Shaking his head, he turned to head back down the hallway, sparing the medic a glance. "Thanks for the info."

Lifeline's dark eyes settled on the Marine as he seemed to debate something within himself for a few moments before speaking. "I've got my cell phone in my office."

Another few moments of silence stretched between them, before Billy spoke. "...It get decent reception out here?"

The medic nodded his dark head. "Not too bad. Main Frame . . . 'tweaked' it for me." He said with a small smile.

"You sure you don't mind?"

Edwin waved off the Marine's concern. "Just try to keep it short – just in case."

"Shouldn't take long."

Lifeline dug into the front pocket of the fatigue pants he was wearing and pulled out a small key ring. "The door is locked," he said as he handed the keys over to Billy. "It's the one with the red cover. The phone is in the top right hand drawer."

Billy nodded as he took the key ring. "Alright. Thanks. I owe you one for this."

"I'll collect later," The medic said, smiling a bit as he looked at Billy.

Returning the faint smile, Billy nodded and with a soft sigh, headed for the office to find the phone. He really wasn't looking forward to making the call; he had a feeling his son might understand, but talking to Heather... 'Don't think about it til you have to, Coen', he told himself firmly.

* * *

Edwin watched Billy for a moment before turning and heading back out to the triage area. "Sir!" A female voice hailed the medic as soon as he emerged from the hallway. Looking up, Lifeline saw Lieutenant Sorenson hurrying towards him. "What is it Lieutenant?"

"Station two is getting low on needles," came the quick reply. "I tried to get into the supply room, but the door was locked."

The medic nodded his head and reached into his pocket and frowning slightly before recalling that he'd just given Billy his keys. "I'll be right back, the keys are in my office." Turning on his heel, Lifeline headed back down the hall.

As he neared the office, it was possible to hear a muffled voice, one that was easy to identify as Billy's. He was doing his best to keep his voice down, but it was also clear the Marine was pissed. The door was slightly ajar, Billy's voice louder and clearer as Edwin paused just outside, unsure as to whether he should enter or not. "Look, I can't stay on the phone long...just put Robby on the phone..." There was a sigh. "No, I _can't_ tell you what's going on. Work shit that I'm not allowed to talk about..."

Quietly pushing the door open a bit more, Edwin peered inside, Billy's back to him, the phone pressed to the brunette's ear. Billy gritted his teeth as a voice blared out of the phone, the words unintelligible. "Look, I'm not calling to argue with you...Don't even...no, don't you _even_ bring that up," he snapped, sagging against the desk a little. "Heather, I can _hear_ him in the background."

Knowing that he was intruding, but reluctant to leave, Lifeline's dark eyes settled on Billy as he listened. There were a few more moments of silence on the other end, Heather's voice again blaring through the ear speaker, before the line went dead and Billy let loose with a string of swearing that was more for the benefit of venting his own anger than anything. He set down the phone with a barely restrained rage, his arm trembling with the effort it took not to hurl the machine across the room.

Edwin closed his eyes for a moment, a sad look on his face. He had known that Billy and his ex-wife had a rather tumultuous relationship, the Marine had spoken of it several times, but this was the first time he'd been a witness to it. Opening his eyes once again, he looked at Billy for a few moments before reaching to pull the door closed. Billy nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the door closing, and looked over his shoulder. "Hey...sorry, was I getting too loud?"

"Oh, uh . . ." Lifeline could feel himself blushing. "I, uh, just, uh, came to get my keys. The, uh – the supply room, the key . . ." The medic's words tumbled out, a bit embarrassed to have been caught listening in on Billy's conversation.

Looking down at the key chain in his hand, Billy tossed it to the medic. "Sorry you had to hear that."

Edwin deftly caught the keys in his hand. "I, uh, I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

"Don't worry about it," Billy said, slipping the phone back into the drawer. "You'd have heard it sooner or later..."

Stepping into the office, Edwin reached back and softly closed the door. "Did you get to talk to Robby?"

"No, the fucking bitch hung up on me."

"I'm sorry," the medic said softly.

"So'm I..." Billy shook his head. "At least I know _some_ message'll get to him. Just wish it could've been without her commentary." With a sigh, the Marine closed the drawer and straightened. "Thanks, by the way."

"No problem," Edwin said, mustering up a small smile for the Marine.

Billy walked around the desk and stopped in front of Edwin, forcing a small smile to his own lips. Lifeline met Billy's gaze, seeing the disappointment and anger reflected in the Marine's dark blue eyes. "I'll be okay," Billy murmured.

Reaching out, Edwin put his hand on the other brunette's bicep and gave it a slight squeeze as he nodded his head a bit. Smiling weakly at the touch, Billy brought his hand up to cover Edwin's. "So what did you need those keys for again?"

"Huh?" The medic looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh! The supply room! Sorenson needed more needles."

"You'd better get to it, then," Billy said with a weak smile. "Wouldn't wanna raise any eyebrows."

"Yeah," Lifeline murmured, blushing faintly. "I mean no."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

The murmuring voices died down to a hushed silence as Duke called the assembled group to order in the Ready Room. The Joe senior officers and unit leaders, Lifeline and Devil Dog among them, were seated at the large conference table, their attention immediately drawn to the big blonde as he stood.

Duke's icy blue eyes flicked from one side to the other, taking in the expressions of his fellow officers. The past two weeks had been one of the most trying for Joes in quite some time. As news of a possible contamination by an unknown agent had spread throughout The Pit, a sense of unease had followed in its wake. Tensions had also begun to rise as the quarantine went on, with several altercations breaking out among some of the newer recruits, which were quickly quelled with little fuss. It was the fear of the unknown – of not knowing what, if anything, might have been pumped into the ventilation system; and with stories regarding Billy's exploits with Umbrella circulating as well, it was no wonder that everyone was on edge.

Duke had been off-base when the device had been discovered, meeting with General Hawk and some of the other high ranking brass at the Department of Defense when he had received a communiqué from Flint informing him of what had happened and his decision to lock The Pit down as a precaution.

The blonde had immediately returned to Utah, using a mobile command station setup just outside the fortified compound's walls as a temporary base of operations. From there, he had kept in constant contact with Flint and the others as they worked toward discovering just what the device had been emitting and its possible effects on the Joes. He had received a call from Sci-Fi late the night before, informing him that he and Air-Tight had finished their analysis of the machine, sending an encrypted copy of the results via a secured DSL line. Duke had spent the better part of the night going over the report, consulting with both Flint and Lifeline before making the decision to lift the quarantine and re-open the base. His first order of business upon returning to The Pit was to call the rest of his staff together to apprise them of the final findings.

"I'm sure everyone can guess why we're here, so let's get to it people. Sci-Fi, you and Air-Tight are up," Duke said before sitting down and yielding the floor.

With a nod at his commanding officer, Sci-Fi rose to his feet and looked around the table. "Air-Tight and I finished our analysis of the Cobra device." The dark-haired man nodded at the mixed expressions that greeted him around the table. "Yeah, we're pretty sure it's Cobra made. We found their logo on some of the internal components, and some others that looked like they were probably Umbrella-made."

"How the hell did Cobra get in here?" Beach Head's southern laced voice questioned aloud.

"That's still unclear," Duke responded grimly, his eyes like ice.

"Anyway," Sci-Fi continued. "Judging from the size of the cylinders inside and the rate at which their contents were being released, we figure that it had been active for three maybe five days max." That brought a number of murmurs from those gathered around the table.

"So just what was inside of it?" Scarlett asked, her sapphire gaze on the standing Sci-Fi.

"That's the weird thing," Air-Tight responded, speaking up for the first time since entering the room with Sci-Fi. "It was really nothing."

"Define 'nothing'," Flint requested.

"Nothing as in nothing harmful," came Air-Tight's response. Another round of murmurs circulated around the table. The close-cropped Joe waited until they died down a bit before continuing. "One of them was filled with straight up oxygen – a pretty high concentration, but nothing that could be considered dangerous."

"What about the other one?" Scarlett asked, her red brows quirked together slightly.

"The other one looked like some kind of chemical compound, but there doesn't seem to be any specific point to it. It's nothing poisonous, so far as we can tell." A table of puzzled looking faces looked back at Air-Tight and he shrugged. "As far as we could determine, it's completely harmless."

From his seat, Billy leaned back, frowning as his brain mulled over the possibilities. There was the possibility, he supposed, that the device was a dud of some kind, some kind of experimental bio-bomb or something that just hadn't worked properly.

"But what would be the point?" Scarlett asked, that same question on the minds of several others seated around the table.

It was Sci-Fi who responded as he sat down. "Your guess is as good as ours." Scarlett's lips thinned into a frown, obviously not liking the answer while another round of murmurs whispered around the table.

Duke stood once again. "Lifeline, what about you? Did you turn up anything?"

The medic looked over at the blonde. "Nothing. We had some initial complaints about headaches, itchy watery eyes, a couple respiratory things . . .," he shook his dark head. "Nothing."

Billy didn't look any happier than Scarlett did as he listened.

"It just doesn't make any sense," Lady Jaye intoned as she glanced around the table. "Why go through the trouble of getting inside here and then planting something that essentially did nothing?"

"I know how you feel, Lady Jaye," Duke answered. "I don't understand it either. There has to be something more to it, something that we're missing. Cobra doesn't do things without a reason. We're just not seeing it."

"What if it was some kind of a ruse . . . a decoy of some kind?" Flint mused aloud. "Something to keep our attention off Cobra for a while."

Duke looked at his second in command, his blonde head nodding. "I had the same thought at first too, but while you guys were here under quarantine, Cobra was as quiet as a mouse. No reports of even one Cobra trooper being caught jaywalking."

"It's possible that the chemical in the machine didn't work properly. Considering what Cobra's been playing with just lately, they may have thought they were releasing something ugly, but fucked up somewhere along the line," Billy said, speaking quietly. "If they were using something T-Virus based, then it might have been unstable."

Duke looked at Billy. "Devil Dog has a good point," he said with a nod in the Marine's direction. "Not a comfortable one, but a good one." He looked at the soldiers seated around the table, his expression still a bit grim. "Since we found out about Cobra's alliance with the Umbrella Corporation, it's no longer business as usual. This is a whole new ballgame people and we can't take anything at face value anymore. For now, the quarantine is officially lifted, but I want every one of you to keep your eyes and ears open. Got it?" There were nods of ascent around the table. Duke continued on. "Sci-Fi, I want you and Air-Tight to pack that thing up and send it out to the CDC with a copy of your final report."

"Yes, Sir," the pair said in unison.

"Flint, I want you to head up revamping security. The fact that a Cobra agent got in here at all pisses me off. I don't care what you have to do, but I want this place so secure that not even a spider could crawl up the outside wall without us knowing about it."

"Got it," came the reply with a nod of Flint's dark head.

Duke's icy blue eyes surveyed the table once again. "Anything else?" he asked, his gaze settling on each soldier for a moment before moving on to the next.

"You...may wanna do follow-up check ups on anybody who had any kind of skin irritations or anything," Billy suggested quietly. "It's one of the earliest signs of the virus, so if we're dealing with anything to do with it, it'd be better not to take chances."

"Lifeline?" Duke's gaze swung back to the medic and Edwin nodded his head. "Will do," he said, already trying to recall if there had been anyone who had complained of that type of ailment.

Satisfied, Duke looked at his senior staff again. "Anybody?"

"I do have a question," Beach Head spoke up. "What about leave? With the quarantine, all approved leaves were canceled. With everyone having been cooped up in here for the past two weeks, I know they're gonna be asking about it."

Considering the Marine's last few days off had been cut off due to the quarantine, Billy couldn't help but be curious himself.

"Good question," the blonde said in response, a thoughtful look on his face. "Nothing extended for the time being. With the quarantine lifted, it's pretty much back to business as usual, but I'd rather have everybody within arms reach if something happens. Unofficially, we're still on alert until we get to the bottom of this." Once again there were nods of agreement from those around the table.

"If that's it, then we're done here." Duke's gaze once again swept over the other occupants of the room. "Dismissed."

* * *

"Your report?" The Baroness' spoke into the communicator strapped to her wrist.

"Everything went according to the plan," came the reply, the voice slightly muffled and hushed as it issued from the comm's tiny speaker. "The quarantine has been lifted and the Joes are as clueless as new-born wallabies."

"Excellent," the raven-haired woman said, her crimson lips spreading in a slow smile.

"How much longer?"

"Just long enough to confirm the fruits of your labor and then you can return." The Baroness answered, her mind already swirling with thoughts of parading her coming triumph in front of Cobra Commander.

"Yes, ma'am. Over and out." The link went dead.

The Baroness lowered her arm. 'Mock me, will you Cobra Commander? We shall see, we shall see . . .'

* * *

As he unlocked the door and let himself into the condo, Billy couldn't help but feel a mingled sense of elation and frustration. He was going to have to try and get in touch with his son soon and at least check in with the boy. He didn't relish the idea of having to talk to his ex-wife again, however. As he stepped inside, closed and locked the door behind him, he shoved that train of thought out of his mind. He'd worry about it later.

He'd managed to get free of the base earlier than Edwin, mainly due to the fact that the medic had been needed in the infirmary to help finish up some work down there. Lifeline had given Billy the go-ahead to go to the condo and wait for him, assuring the Marine the fridge was still fully stocked with beer, and that he should make himself comfortable. The sentiment had been a kind one, if a bit misplaced.

Billy hadn't said anything to Edwin, but the condo actually made the Marine more than a little uncomfortable sometimes. It was the home of someone who'd been fairly affluent, although admittedly modest about it. But for someone like Billy, who'd grown up in a household where money had been scarce, it felt odd to spend so much time in such a nice place. Billy's first stop had been the kitchen, where he'd tossed some of the fresh produce that always seemed to be on hand. Two weeks, even in a fridge, was more of a shelf life than some of that stuff had. Once he'd finished with that, he'd grabbed a beer, and headed out to the balcony for a smoke.

* * *

Lifeline smiled a bit to himself as he parked his Jeep, noticing Billy's black 4x4 already in one of the visitor's slots in the lot. The medic had only a brief chance to speak with Devil Dog after the staff meeting that morning before returning to the Infirmary to finish up on some paperwork and reports that had been put on the back burner during the quarantine. He could tell from Billy's manner that the Marine had been sorely disappointed by the news regarding extended leave. Hoping that he might be able to cheer Billy up, he had invited the other man over for the evening, using the chance to get away from The Pit – where they'd just spent the past two weeks locked down – as a good excuse. Even though they had been quarantined in the compound, the pair of them had only seen each other briefly after Billy's initial visit to the Infirmary to find out what was going on.

After two weeks away from home, Edwin had stopped at the grocery store on his way home to pick up a few things – milk, bread, some fruit, since he was pretty sure that during his absence what he already had would be ready for the trash bin by now. Turning off the ignition, he unbuckled his seat belt and then slid down from the vehicle before walking around to the cargo area. His hands laden with plastic bags, he started towards his building.

* * *

After trudging up the stairs, Edwin set some of the bags down while he fished out his keys, chiding himself for having shoved them in the pockets of the fatigue pants he was still wearing. Pulling them out, he quickly unlocked the door and shouldered it open before reaching for the bags and carrying them inside. The first thing that struck him was how quiet it was. Despite seeing the Marine's truck in the lot, there didn't seem to be any immediate sign of Billy. Tapping the door closed with his foot, the medic carried the groceries into the kitchen. That was one of things that Edwin had always found odd, that Billy never turned on the television or the stereo, even when he was there alone, despite Lifeline's numerous invitations to make himself at home while he was there. Setting the bags on the counter, the medic started to unpack them.

Stowing the last of the groceries away, Lifeline then turned to take a quick flip through the stack of mail that Mrs. Corso, his cleaning lady, had left for him during his two week absence, pulling out the bills and other pertinent correspondence into a separate stack. The rest, mostly advertisements and junk mail, went into the trash.

Outside, Billy couldn't help but smile a little as he heard Edwin bustling around in the kitchen, the sound carrying easily in the otherwise silent apartment. Taking the last drag off his cigarette, Billy crushed out the remainder in the ashtray he'd provided himself with, and headed into the apartment to see Edwin, looking forward to getting to spend a little time with the medic after the last two weeks. Edwin was just making his way from the kitchen and into the dining room, when Billy stepped through the French doors from the balcony. "Hey there, Devil Dog." The medic couldn't help but smile as he looked at the brunette. "So that's where you've been hiding."

"Mmhmm...right where I left me," was Billy's easy reply as he shut the French doors behind himself.

Lifeline's smile faded just a bit as he looked at the Marine – it was obvious that Billy's mood hadn't improved much since Edwin had seen him earlier. "It just occurred to me that you never asked if you could smoke in here," Edwin mused aloud, changing the subject. When he first starting coming over to visit, Billy had left the condo and gone downstairs to smoke outside of the building's front door before discovering the much more convenient balcony.

"Seems kinda rude, all things considered. I mean, since you're not a smoker and all."

"True," Edwin said. "But I want you to be comfortable while you're here. Although sometimes I get the feeling that you're not."

'Damn him for being way too perceptive for his own good,' Billy thought, but with no real malice as he gave a neutral, one-shouldered shrug.

"Then I sometimes wonder if it's this place," the medic went on, gesturing at the room with his hand. "Or if it's me."

Billy shook his head emphatically. "It's not you, Edwin," He said quietly. "Not at all."

"Then what? Are you afraid that someone is going to see you here? There aren't any other Joes that live in this complex."

The words brought a faint smile to Billy's lips as he realized that Edwin honestly didn't have any clue. "Humor me, but just how do you afford this place? Just on your base pay as a Joe?"

Lifeline looked at the Marine, it was a few moments before realization dawned on him. "The condo is paid for, so basically its just utilities, groceries, those kind of things."

Billy nodded a little. "Makes sense..." he offered a weak smile. "I guess I've just never quite hit the point where a place this slick feels comfortable."

"I had – have some money. When I joined the Joes and got assigned here, I figured I was in for the long haul. I bought it as an investment. I really just started living here the past couple years."

"Special Forces didn't pay too badly, but money's always been tight, even when I was a kid. My folks rented our place, and I used to take on odd jobs or whatever to make a little extra cash." The Marine smiled a bit. "That truck outside is the first kinda frivolous investment I've made in a damn long time."

"My father made a six-figure income; of course that's not counting bonuses . . . stock options . . . it's probably obscene when you stop and think about it." Edwin said softly, almost as if he were a bit embarrassed.

Billy offered another tentative smile. "Dad drove long-haul for a living, and was driving his rig all his life, I think. He didn't make a lot, doing it. But he loved it, so he stuck with it."

The medic smiled a bit, the gesture tinged with a hint of sadness. "I know how that feels. I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather do for a living either. I suppose that's one of the things that my father could never understand."

Billy moved to stand closer to the medic. "It's not you," he repeated, smiling a bit more genuinely this time. "Just my redneck side showing through, I guess."

Edwin's smile widen a bit. "Some of the nicest people I've ever met could be considered rednecks."

"We may not be worth much, in terms of money, but I like to think we make up for it in other ways."

"True," the medic said, still smiling a bit as he looked at Billy.

The Marine grinned back a little and then sighed. "I'm gonna need to try and call Robby later..."

Lifeline nodded. "You can use the phone here, if you want. I don't mind."

"I'll pay you back for the long-distance charges."

Edwin waved off the offer. "Don't worry about it."

"Thanks." Billy slid an arm around the medic's shoulders.

Lifeline leaned in a little closer to the Marine. "You hungry, or do you want to wait a while for dinner? I stopped at the store on my way home; but truthfully, I'm really not in the mood to cook. I thought we could order something instead."

"Sounds good to me. Mind if I hijack your shower in the meantime?"

"Not at all," Edwin responded with a slight shake of his dark head. "Go ahead."

"Cool." Leaning just a bit, Billy pressed a kiss to Edwin's temple. "And before you ask, no I don't really care what you order in. I can eat almost anything," he said, releasing the medic and heading for the bathroom.

* * *

Lifeline was in the kitchen pulling out plates and utensils when the phone rang, having only just finished calling in his order for take out several minutes earlier. Setting the plates in his hand down on the counter top, he moved to grab the cordless handset from its place on the wall. "Hello?" Edwin closed his eyes and sighed as he recognized the voice on the other end of the line. "Aunt Rita . . ."

Billy's shower was quick, and he'd padded out into the kitchen in a pair of cut-off jean shorts and nothing else when the phone rang, and quirked an eyebrow when Edwin answered. "No, I didn't . . . " the medic leaned against the counter as he spoke. "I talked to his doctor . . . no . . . I couldn't have anyway, I was out of the country . . ." Lifeline sighed again. "It was an ulcer, it wasn't life threatening . . ." he winced a little as the voice in the ear rose to a much louder pitch. "That's not what I meant . . . " Edwin started, trying to speak.

Closing his dark eyes once again, Lifeline listened to his aunt, letting her rant for several more minutes before he finally spoke. "Look, I've been gone for the past two weeks and I just got home and I'm really not up for this right now . . . fine . . . no . . . I'd appreciate that . . . you too . . . Goodbye." Edwin switched off the phone, closed his eyes and leaned against the counter for a few moments.

Walking over to Edwin, Billy embraced him silently. Edwin never spoke much about his family, and if the current conversation was any indication, the Marine was beginning to think he knew why.

The medic sagged a bit against Billy, soaking up the Marine's comforting presence. Dealing with his family had been an emotional ordeal ever since he'd graduated from high school and left home, and it usually left him feeling drained afterwards.

Billy's arms tightened as Edwin sagged and he closed his eyes. "You gonna be okay?" He murmured.

"Yeah," the medic replied softly with an almost imperceptible nod of his dark head. "She just – she just has this way of making you feel guilty about things that aren't your fault."

"Sounds like my ex-wife," Billy said sympathetically, nuzzling Edwin gently.

The handset still clutched in his hand, Lifeline slid his arms around the Marine, returning the embrace. Billy ran a hand through Edwin's hair, his heart aching for the medic. "Anything I can do?"

Edwin shook his head a little as he pulled away slightly so that he could see Billy's face. "But I'm glad you're here."

Offering Edwin a smile, Billy nodded. "Me, too."

His dark gaze locked with the Marine's cool blue one, Lifeline leaned in closer to Billy once more, pressing his lips against the other brunette's in a kiss. With a soft purr, Billy pulled Edwin close, returning the kiss warmly.

Loosening his hold a little, Edwin reached behind himself and dropped the phone handset on the counter before sliding his arm back around Billy as the kiss continued on, his chocolate brown eyes sliding closed behind the lenses of his glasses. Billy smiled a bit into the kiss as he heard the phone touch the counter, and pulled back enough to nip lightly at Edwin's bottom lip. Lifeline's breath caught in his throat a bit, a slight shiver going down his spine as his fingers pressed into Billy's warm bare skin.

The Marine purred at the touch, a shiver going through him as well as he nipped at Edwin's lip again. "Hmm...don't think I'd ever get tired of that," he said softly. Edwin could feel the heat of the faint flush that crept across his cheeks as he leaned in to once again press his lips to Billy's, the touch much more firm and self-assured, while his hand strayed up into the Marine's dark hair.

Billy went into the kiss more than willingly, moaning softly as the fingers slid into his hair. He pulled Edwin even a little closer, sharply aware of the minimal barriers between the two of them. The medic made a soft sound in his throat at the press of Billy's body against his. Unconsciously, his fingers glided over the smaller tattoo on Billy's lower middle back as his lips parted slightly , a silent invitation for the Marine to deepen the kiss.

A small shudder went through Billy as the fingers ghosted over the ink on his back and his own lips parted, tongue delving willingly into the other man's mouth. Edwin almost seemed to melt against the Marine as their tongues met, his hand tightening slightly in the slightly damp brunette hair. He was consciously aware of the warm tanned body pressed against him and thought that he could feel the beat of Billy's heart against his chest – Edwin's soft cotton t-shirt the only barrier between them.

The kiss stretched on until the need for air finally forced Billy to break it and he whispered breathlessly against Edwin's lips. "How long before that call in order gets here?"

"S-Should be any . . . any time," came the slightly breathless reply. "Ch-Chinese . . ."

Billy nodded and grinned some. "Cool..." he said, and then after a moment. "Dirty pool with the other tattoo, though, you know," he went on.

Edwin looked at Billy, a slightly puzzled look on his face.

"What, forget about it already?"

After a few moments, the medic nodded, "Actually I kinda did until now. It's not as obvious as the one on your arm. Whatever it was that I did, I didn't do it on purpose."

Billy chuckled. "I told you before, my inked skin is more sensitive..."

Once again, Lifeline nodded. It took a few moments before Billy's words sunk in, pulling yet another soft blush from Edwin. "Y'know, you're way too easy to embarrass sometimes," Billy teased gently, pressing a brief kiss to Edwin's lips.

Lifeline was saved from further embarrassment by the trill of the doorbell, signaling the arrival of dinner. Reluctantly, Billy released the medic, managing to lay another teasing nip on the man's ear before disappearing out onto the balcony for a smoke before they ate.

* * *

Dinner was a relatively quiet affair, Billy and Edwin both making an unconscious effort not to talk about work while they ate. Unsure of what the Marine liked, Lifeline had order several different dishes, the pair of them picking and choosing among the opened cartons that littered the table. The medic had even shown Billy how to really handle a pair of chopsticks, having learned from Quick Kick, one of the Joe's martial arts specialists.

Billy enjoyed the lessons greatly. There was something undeniably nice about being curled up on the couch with the medic with the cartons spread across the table. Once the meal was finished, Billy had forced Edwin to stay seated, and cleaned up the table himself, putting the leftovers in the fridge, and throwing away the empty cartons.

Lifeline stretched out on the sofa while Billy was busy in the kitchen, sighing contentedly. It was coming up on a year since he'd first met Billy, almost running the Marine down on a dark stretch of highway. Since then, both their lives had taken considerable turns that neither one of them could have predicted, with one of the most notable being their mutual attraction to one another. It was something that had clearly unnerved the Marine at first, and rightfully so. Billy had, nonetheless, been willing to give things between them a shot; and he had never regretted that decision. Sighing once again, Edwin's eyes slid closed for a few moments enjoying the peace of being away from the base and being "home".

"Home" -- the word never really meant much to the medic. Since joining the army he'd learned to deal with moving at the whim of the military and never really keeping a permanent address. But after two weeks of being cooped up inside The Pit, he'd been just as grateful as everyone else when the quarantine had been lifted.

Although he didn't have anywhere to stay off-base but Edwin's, Billy had been grateful when the quarantine was lifted, too. Tempers had run high, his own unit edgy and nervous. He thought about it as he walked back into the living room and sat beside the couch. He was feeling unusually tired, but figured it was probably just from the time cooped up on base. Lifeline's dark eyes opened and he looked at the Marine. "You look beat."

"Maybe a little. Been a busy couple of weeks."

"Yeah," Edwin said softly as he straightened up a bit.

Billy smiled. "I'll be fine. Just need a little time to recharge after being holed up like that."

The medic nodded. "It's Friday, and we have a nice weekend – hopefully. Not that we really get weekends off . . ."

"Nope, but there's nothing saying we can't make good use of the time we _are_ getting..."

"What have you got planned?" Edwin asked curiously.

"Thought I'd see if you had any suggestions."

"Me?" Lifeline raised his eyebrow slightly. "I was thinking of just loafing around all weekend and doing absolutely nothing for a change." The medic smiled a bit.

"Sounds like a plan to me...it's been pretty nice lazing around with you so far."

"If you want to stay the whole weekend, I certainly wouldn't mind." Edwin's voice was soft with no traces of embarrassment or hesitancy as he spoke.

"I think I'd like that," Billy said with a nod and a smile. "Won't really raise any eyebrows, since I don't have a place off-base, and you keep a fully-stocked fridge."

Lifeline chuckled. "I knew it, you're just here for the beer," he said jokingly.

Billy laughed at that. "Well, I _might_ be here for other things..."

"Other things, huh . . . well my Jeep could use an oil change – although I'm not really that good at that kind of thing . . . I've been thinking of rearranging my office in the other room . . ." the medic ticked things off, smiling as he spoke. Another laugh escaped the Marine and he reached out, poking Edwin in one of the medic's more ticklish spots. Lifeline tried to squirm away, his hands going to protectively cover the spot, but not quickly enough. "Don't! I just ate, I'll be sick."

"Then scoot over and make a little room," Billy said, mock-threateningly.

"Yes Sir, Devil Dog, Sir." Edwin replied as he moved over to give the Marine room to join him. Billy moved up onto the couch, his arms sliding around Edwin as he got settled, and pulling the other man close. "Much better."

* * *

Billy didn't remember falling asleep on the couch. He only knew that he woke up alone. While perplexing, he eventually became aware of the muffled sound of running water. 'Ah, he decided to shower', he thought, sitting up and looking around the condo again. 'I should call Robby now, before it gets _too_ late...'

Standing, the Marine stretched before padding on bare feet into the kitchen and picking up the abandoned handset. He punched in a number he knew well and brought the phone to his ear, silently bracing himself to deal with Heather, if it was she who answered the phone. He really didn't feel like another fight. The last two weeks had been enough of a trial for him, and he wasn't sure he'd be able to keep a hold on his temper if they did.

"Hello?"

A voice came over the phone, breaking Billy from his thoughts and drawing an immediate smile to his face; it was Robby. "Hey, kid, it's your father."

"Dad! Are you okay? What happened? Why didn't you come out? You promised you would..."

Billy frowned a little, but kept his voice even as he spoke. "Didn't your mom tell you anything?"

"Just that you weren't coming out and wouldn't tell her why. I...heard the two of you yelling at each other."

'That bitch.' "Sorry you had to hear that, Robby."

"It's okay. I know you two don't get along all the time." There was a pause before Robby started speaking again, his earlier enthusiasm firmly back in place. "So what happened? Why didn't you come out?"

"There was some stuff that came up, and I wasn't allowed to leave the base."

"Ohhhh. So...is it Top Secret stuff?"

"Fraid so."

"Well, that's okay, then. It means you're not allowed to tell me, right?"

Billy felt the tension ease out of his shoulders at that. "Right."

"So do you know when you can come visit?"

"Might be a little while. But I'll call as often as I can until then. Is that cool?"

"That's cool...will I get to come see the base sometime?"

"Maybe when you come and visit. How's that sound?"

"Cool!"

Billy was grinning like a fool as he walked over to the couch and stretched out on it, pillowing his head on his arm. The conversation then turned to more mundane topics after that, like how Robby was doing in school. Billy still couldn't help but feel awkward talking to his son, painfully aware of how hard he was trying not to say anything that would make him sound stupid. Robby had, in spite of his parents, turned into quite an intellect, and that was something Billy still wasn't quite sure how to deal with.

"Hey, Dad, got a question."

"Shoot."

"Who's Edwin Steen? His name is on the caller ID."

"A buddy of mine who I stay with when I'm not on-base."

"Ohhh...kinda like a roommate?"

Billy couldn't help but chuckle at that. "Something like that."

"Cool...um, think he would mind if I wrote his number down, just so I'll remember it? I mean, you know, in case I can't get a hold of you?"

"I don't think he'd mind too much, but I can ask him if you want."

Ruffling his damp hair a bit with his hand, Lifeline paused in the bedroom doorway as he noticed Billy on the phone. Dressed in a pair of pajama bottoms, his upper body was bare, an olive green t-shirt in his hand. The medic was also without his glasses, having left them on the nightstand before he had showered. It took only a few moments of hearing snatches of the Marine's conversation for him to guess who Billy was talking to and he couldn't help but smile at the tone in the other man's voice. Wanting to give Billy his privacy while he talked to his son, Lifeline retreated back into the bedroom.

"Could you? I mean, if that's not too weird or something."

"No problem." Billy stood with a soft sound, and made his way into the bedroom to look for Edwin, hoping the medic was out of the shower, at least. Stretched out on the bed, pillows piled behind him and the remote in his hand, Lifeline was idly flipping channels on the television when Billy entered. Billy leaned in the doorway, grinning at the picture Edwin made like that, and cupped his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "Got a question for ya, Doc." Turning at the sound of the other man's voice, the medic tilted his head a bit as he looked at the Marine questioningly. "Mind if Robby keeps a copy of your phone number here written down?" Billy smiled a little.

"No, I don't mind." Edwin replied with a slight shake of his head.

Billy nodded and walked over to sit on the edge of the bed as he spoke into the phone again. "Edwin says its okay with him. Just do me a favor, and don't give it to your mom unless it's an emergency?"

"No problem. I won't."

"Good boy. Now, behave for your mom and I'll call you again as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay, Dad! I love you!"

Billy's expression softened. "I love you, too, Rob. Bye." And with that, he hung up the phone. Lifeline couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips at the Marine's parting words to his son. Switching off the television, he set the remote back on the nightstand. Setting the handset aside, Billy stretched out on the bed next to Edwin. "He's a good kid."

"Must take after his old man," the medic said smiling a bit as he looked at Billy. "Guess everything was okay then?"

Smiling some at Edwin's comment, Billy nodded. "He's better than I was at his age. And I'm not real happy with his mother right now, but I should have expected that kinda crap outta her..."

"You two didn't argue again did you?" Edwin asked, turning onto his side towards the Marine.

"No, but I don't appreciate her lying to my kid, either..." Billy replied, scowling at the ceiling. "It's one thing to tell him I can't come out, but telling him that I wouldn't tell her what was going on...not _couldn't_ but wouldn't."

Edwin could hear the frustration in the other man's voice. "At least you got it straightened out with Robby," he said as he reached out and lightly laid his hand on Billy's forearm.

Billy visibly relaxed at the touch, and his expression was softer as he looked over at Edwin. "Yeah, and I'm glad for it."

"I'm glad you got a chance to talk to him. I know it's not the same as seeing him, but . . ."

"It's better than nothing...I told him we'd try to get him in a tour of the base sometime. Once all this shit's blown over, of course."

"I'm sure he'd get a kick out it. Scarlett's brothers did, and they're grown." Lifeline said with a smile.

Billy nodded. "He'll like it..." With a smile he added. "He tells me he wants to go into the service when he's old enough."

"Follow in your footsteps, huh?"

"Apparently so. He hasn't told Heather yet." Billy chuckled. "I doubt she'll be pleased."

"He's only eleven; a lot can happen between now and then. He might change his mind. He could always pick the Army instead of the Marines," Lifeline added jokingly.

Reaching over, Billy poked at one of Lifeline's ticklish spots. "That's only okay if he becomes a medic," He shot back. The medic laughed, hands going to cover the spot to try to ward off the Marine. The conversation was abandoned as Billy attacked that spot ruthlessly with one hand, his other hand going to try and block Edwin's attempts to block him.

"No!" Lifeline protested in-between laughs, "Don't!" He squirmed on the bed while trying to fend off Billy.

Billy laughed at that, eventually pinning Edwin down, their noses only a few inches apart. "And why not?" He asked with a smirk.

"Cause . . . I'm . . . ticklish . . ." Lifeline said slowly, his voice soft, his manner sobering almost instantly as he looked up at the Marine.

"Hmm...Well, maybe if you keep me distracted, I might just forget that," Billy said, his tone still playful, but his expression gentle.

The medic's chocolate brown eyes were intent on Billy's deep blue gaze, all the while consciously aware of just how close their barely clothed bodies were, their bare chests only inches apart. Billy said nothing more, and seemed to be looking for something in the other man's gaze. Whatever it was, it made him nod and he leaned down, pressing his lips warmly to Edwin's. Lifeline made a soft sound and closed his eyes as their lips met, his hand coming up to slide through the Marine's dark hair and cup the back of Billy's head. A quiet sound slipped from Billy and he slowly relaxed against Lifeline, lowering his weight tentatively against the medic. Edwin slipped his arm around the Marine's waist a few moments later, as Billy settled against him. Billy smiled a bit into the kiss, and parted his lips, the tip of his tongue whispering across the medic's in silent question. Another faint sound escaped from Edwin, his mouth flowering open in answer.

Billy's head tilted to the side, sealing their lips more firmly together as he plundered that now familiar mouth enthusiastically. The hand in the Billy's dark hair tightened as Lifeline returned the kiss with just as much passion. A small shiver shot through Billy and he moaned quietly at the heat Edwin was returning as his eyes fell closed and he let himself revel in the contact, sharply aware of every inch of skin pressed against his.

The arm around the Marine's waist slid down a bit, Edwin's fingers brushing over the tattoo on the small of the other man's back as the medic answered Billy's moan with one of his own. Shifting a bit, he moved his leg, slipping over it over the back of Billy's. The kiss grew more intense as the touch eased over the inked skin and it was only finally for the need of air that Billy broke the kiss, nipping at Edwin's lower lip. Lifeline's breath caught in his throat at the nip, a slight shiver traveling down his spine. His dark eyes still closed, the medic sank back into the pillows a bit more as he tried to catch his breath. Relaxing against Edwin, Billy nuzzled the medic's jaw line, pressing tiny kisses to the medic's throat. "God, Edwin..."

Lifeline's fingers traced lazy circles over the inked flesh of the Marine's lower back, Billy's gentle attentions bringing forth another soft sound from the medic. "Billy . . ." he murmured the name softly, almost breathlessly.

Tiny tremors went through Billy's muscular frame and he smiled, as Edwin's hand slid from his hair and down between them to the Marine's chest, fingertips tracing over the scar there – the scar from the wound that Billy had received at the hands of the Tyrant in Doctor Mindbender's lab when he had accompanied a team of Joes to rescue the medic before he had officially been offered a place with them. Billy's breath hitched at that, and he opened his eyes to look at Edwin again, smiling a little. "It was worth it...in case you ever wondered..."

"I was never so happy to see someone in my whole life." Lifeline said softly. "Waking up in the Infirmary and seeing you in the bed next to me . . . the only thing better is waking up in the morning and seeing you here."

"All I saw was that syringe...I knew what they were gonna do...couldn't let it happen," Billy murmured back, nuzzling Lifeline affectionately. "With the Tyrant...well..." he shrugged. "Couldn't let you guys get wasted..."

Edwin's hand once again returned to Billy's dark locks, his fingers gently combing through them, conscious of the press of the Marine's body against his. "...You were pretty important to me, even then..." Billy whispered, pressing his lips to Edwin's throat. Lifeline's breath hitched, a small sound escaping from his parted lips as his eyes slid closed. "And you're definitely important to me now." The words were whispered against the medic's skin, Billy smiling a bit.

Lifeline felt something in his chest at the Marine's words. "You're one of the most important things in my life, Billy," the medic said softly. "There isn't much that I wouldn't do for you."

"...Then can I ask you to do something for me?" Billy pulled back enough to look Edwin in the eyes. Edwin tilted his head a bit as he met Billy's gaze, noting the more serious look in the Marine's dark blue eyes. "If...anything ever happens to me...just...help look out for my boy?" Billy's words were soft.

The medic looked at Billy silently for a few moments, his dark eyed gaze softening as he raised his hand to the side of the other man's face. "l will," he said quietly. "You have my word."

"Thank you..." Smiling, Billy leaned in again and pressed his lips gently to Edwin's.

Lifeline met the kiss, his hand pulling away from the other man's cheek before coming to rest on Billy's tattooed bicep, the medic's fingers closing over the warm tanned skin.

* * *

Their first kiss had been a hesitant, tentative thing. This time, however, that hesitance was burned away as the final walls between them crumbled. A desperate kind of urgency overcame them as trembling hands fumbled with buttons, zippers and drawstrings.

When finally they lay exposed to one another, there was another moment of indecision. As before, it was swept away by need. Passion, lust, love; all of these surged back and forth between them, a powerful force that they could barely keep contained between them. It stretched on forever, and yet only seemed to last the span of a few breaths before reality shattered and only the two of them were left.

They lay together in silence in the aftermath. Words were unnecessary; the sound of their hearts beating in tandem and the uneven rhythm of their breathing spoke in a wordless language both understood perfectly. There was an absolute understanding in the warmth of their bodies pressed close to one another. Lips pressed together without hesitance now, without uncertainty, without desperation. Only with the need to reassure and seek reassurance, a silent give and take to ease minds and souls, as well as cement the bond between them in an irrevocable promise.

* * *

Cuddled together in the middle of the bed, Billy and Edwin laid quietly together in what could only be described as sated lethargy. Somewhere along the line, while the two were making love, it had started to rain, the gentle patter of the drops tapping on the glass of the window only adding to the dream-like feeling that permeated the room. Billy lay in a pleasant haze, silent and content. He didn't have any words, nor was he sure there were any needed. It simply felt good to hold another in his arms after a bout of love-making. Edwin's fingers lightly glided over the tribal-style tattoo that covered Billy's right arm, the tips idly tracing over the dark swirling words that were somewhat visible, courtesy of the faint light spilling in through the open door from the living room.

Billy pried one eye open and gazed silently at the medic. Feeling the gaze upon him, Lifeline's fingers stilled on the Marine's inked skin as he raised his head and met Billy's one-eyed appraisal, a faint smile on his face. Billy returned the smile with a lazy one of his own, his arms around the medic tensing a little in a kind of hug. He was too relaxed to do much else. Edwin was grateful to see that smile. Despite Billy's acceptance of their feelings for one another and his willingness to see where those feelings led the two of them, Lifeline had always been afraid that when the time came that things became intimate between them, the Marine would change his mind. As he looked at the other man, the medic felt all of his doubts fall away; leaning in closer, he pressed a soft kiss to Billy's lips. When the kiss broke again, there were a few moments of silence before the Marine spoke. "So...no regrets?"

Edwin's chocolate brown eyes regarded the man next to him for a few moments before he spoke, his voice soft as he shook his dark head slightly. "No . . . not one. You?"

"Not a one..."

Slipping his hand from the Marine's arm, Lifeline brought it up and cupped the side of Billy's face before once again leaning in to kiss him, the last of his lingering doubts dissipating at the other man's words. Billy returned that kiss lazily, a low purr rumbling in his chest as his eyes slid closed.

His hand sliding from the Marine's cheek as the kiss lingered on, Edwin slipped his arm around Billy's waist, his hand reaching around to lightly settle on the other brunette's back. After a few moments, the medic broke the kiss and gently touched his dark head to the Marine's, his eyes closed as the two held each other.

As the silence stretched between them, Billy gradually relaxed against the medic as sleep tried to pull at him again. As he shifted a bit, something pulled and twitched slightly in the man's back, causing the skin to shift somewhat. Like the man next to him, Lifeline was drifting towards sleep when the unexpected movement under his hand caused his eyes to flash open in surprise as he instinctively pulled his hand away. 'What the . . ?'

The hand jerking away from Billy's back drew the Marine out of his groggy state. "Hnnn?"

"N-Nothing . . ." Edwin replied, sure that whatever it was must have been his imagination or the beginning of a dream. His arm still around Billy, he resettled his hand on the warm skin of the Marine's back. "Go back to sleep," he said softly, the medic's own eyes falling closed once again.

Billy grunted softly in reply, settled down again, and pulled Edwin closer. The medic's lips curled up in a faint smile, his arm tightening around Billy as well. Sighing slightly, he listened to sound of the rain as it tapped against the glass, letting it lull him back towards sleep. Sleep drew Billy into a place where there were no nightmares and no demons. Just warmth and darkness and he rolled over onto his side, baring his back to Edwin for the first time since they'd met. Feeling the shift, Lifeline pressed a bit closer until their bodies were spooned against one another, the medic's chest pressed against the Marine's back while his hand slid forward to settle on the hardened expanse of Billy's stomach.

One of Billy's hands moved to cover Edwin's and he pressed back against the medic. Another slight shift brought another odd twitch, and Billy made a quiet sound. Lifeline's eyes opened at the subtle shift, feeling the movement against his chest and knowing that this time it wasn't his imagination. "Billy?" he called softly, as he lifted up slightly. "Billy?" he called once more, his voice a little louder when he didn't receive a response the first time.

"...Hmmm?" Billy said, stirring again at the sound of his name.

"Are you okay?" Edwin asked.

"Yeah...why?"

"I thought I . . . never mind," the medic said with a slight shake of his head.

"...Are _you_ okay?"

"I . . . yeah, I guess I must be more tired than I thought." Lifeline replied as he resettled himself back against the Marine. Bending his dark head a bit, he was just about to lay his cheek on Billy's bare shoulder when once again he felt that subtle shift, almost as if Billy's skin were rippling against his chest. Pulling away, he sat up and looked down at the Marine. That prompted Billy to roll over onto his back, looking quizzically back up at the medic. "You can't tell me you didn't feel that."

"What, that muscle twitch?" Billy shrugged. "Kinda, I guess."

"Muscle twitch?" Edwin asked, his brow raised slightly. "That wasn't like any muscle twitch I've felt before."

Again, one of Billy's shoulders raised in a slight shrug. "Feels kinda odd, on this end of it, but it doesn't hurt or anything."

Lifeline's brows knitted together as he looked down at the other brunette. "Did you do something – something to aggravate your back?"

"Not that I remember..." Billy replied. "But, y'know, after everything I've been through, I quit keeping track of the aches and pains." Then he smiled a little. "And besides, my back got a workout it hasn't had in a damn long time...wouldn't surprise me if I overworked something."

Lifeline blushed furiously which unfortunately left the look he shot at the Marine quite ineffective. "I suppose you think that was funny?"

Billy did his best to look innocent, but there was a gleam in his eye that blew the whole image. "Not at all."

"I'm trying to be serious."

The Marine's expression sobered as he nodded a little. "Okay, okay. Honest answer. I don't think I did anything to aggravate it."

"Let me look at it," Edwin requested.

"What, right now?" Billy raised an eyebrow.

"Of course right now." The medic replied. "Why not?"

Sitting up, Billy reached out and wrapped his arms around Edwin, pulling the man back down onto the bed gently. "Uh-uh. In the morning...the bad back'll keep til then, okay?"

"Billy . . ." Lifeline started to protest.

"Edwin, put the medic back in his box for the night," Billy said firmly brushing his lips along his lover's forehead to counterbalance his tone. "I appreciate the concern, but it can wait."

Edwin opened his mouth to speak before closing a few moments later, finding himself silently agreeing with the Marine. The two of them had just consummated their relationship, and instead of basking in the proverbial afterglow, here he was, on the verge of treating Billy like a patient. Reaching up, his fingers toyed with a few locks of Billy's dark hair. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"No big deal. Now c'mon, let's get some sleep?" Billy murmured, his eyes falling closed as the medic's fingers slid into his hair.

Leaning in a bit, Edwin brushed a kiss over the Marine's lips before settling back down in Billy's arms again. Billy pulled Edwin close, and nuzzled him gently, swallowing a yawn. The medic couldn't help smiling to himself as he looked at the other brunette for a few moments before closing his own eyes.

* * *

There was a low rumble of thunder, the sound bass-heavy and vibrating. The gentle rain that had helped lull the two men cuddled together to sleep had turned into a downpour, a steady drenching that the dry earth seemed to soak up almost greedily. It was the thunder, however, that roused Edwin and the medic blinked his eyes as he became more fully awake. The brown-eyed man could hear the rain as it pounded on the roof, like someone had turned a faucet on full blast and left it.

Another deep roll of thunder sounded, this one lingering on a bit longer than the previous one. Looking at the man next to him, Edwin couldn't help but smile. Billy's face looked more relaxed than the medic could remember ever seeing it. The fact that the former Special Ops operative had not been awakened by the thunder was, Edwin hoped, due to the fact that Billy was comfortable and at ease with his surroundings.

Reaching up, Lifeline brushed a few stray locks of dark hair from the Marine's face. From the dim light spilling into the room from the still-burning lamps in the living room, Billy's face looked a bit younger, some of the lines a bit less noticeable and blurred, his usually serious expression smoothed away. That faint smile still lingering, Edwin leaned in and lightly brushed his lips on the other man's forehead before pulling back again.

The Marine was lying on his stomach, his face still toward Edwin as he slept. And as Edwin pulled away, it was easier for him to see the muscled expanse of Billy's back and the tattoo that graced the small of it. The medic had been there with Billy when the blue-eyed man had gotten that particular tattoo - the Marine insignia with the words "Semper Fidelis" in flowing script around the bottom of it. It had been Billy's way of celebrating his freedom, his reinstatement, and his new post with the Joes. The Marine had tried to talk Edwin into getting something done as well, but the medic had been steadfast in his refusal. The tattoo artist in the shop had then made a point of telling Lifeline that they also did body piercing if tattoos weren't his thing; a statement which had elicited a furious blush from Edwin and a hearty laugh out of Billy.

As Lifeline looked at Billy's back he could see that there were a few light bruises here and there, but they didn't seem to be anything out of the ordinary; it wasn't uncommon for the Marine to get banged around a little during combat training, or doing any of the hundreds of other tasks he did in a day. The flesh didn't seem swollen, and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. But as Edwin moved back, Billy shivered a little, and something just under the skin moved again, almost slithering like a snake as it formed a small lump under his skin, and then was gone as quickly as it had come.

Lifeline blinked and his dark brows crooked together. 'Man, my vision must be getting worse.' He thought to himself. 'Now I'm seeing things.' The medic gazed at Billy's bare back for several long minutes, watching the rise and fall as the Marine breathed, but nothing more happened. Chiding himself for having an overactive imagination, Edwin settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes once more while he listened to the sound of the rain on the roof until he eventually drifted off.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

A week passed in relative quiet, both on base and off. Since they weren't needed all the time, the two Joes began spending more time at the medic's condominium. Things remained quiet with Cobra, which meant Billy and Edwin were afforded more time away from the base at night. All of the Joes who had been pulled aside as potentially infected had been given clean bills of health. As an added bit of good news, Lifeline had received a call from a colleague at Walter Reed with an update on Private Freeman. Since her transfer, the young sharpshooter had been responding favorably to treatment, her prognosis looking quite good. While she would be out of commission of some time, the private was expected to make a complete recovery.

As for the Cobra device, it and the various reports that were to accompany it had also been shipped out to the CDC in Atlanta for further analysis and testing per Duke's orders. With the threat of possible contamination turning out to have been a dud, life slowly began to return to normal at The Pit – or at least as normal as life in G.I. Joe ever really got.

* * *

To say that Lifeline liked being able to spend more private time with Billy would have been an understatement. With the crossing of the final hurdle in their relationship, things between the pair seemed to be going better than ever. They had made love several times since that first night, each time even better than the one before it. On more than one occasion, Edwin had found himself musing over how it would be to have the Marine with him on a much more permanent basis. It was well-known around the base that the two of them were good friends, and having Billy as a "roommate" wasn't likely to raise many eyebrows.

On this particular day, the medic was at home, sitting at the computer desk in his make-shift office, checking his email and the latest stock market figures. Despite his relationship with his father, Edwin had, somewhere along the line, picked up a bit of the elder Steen's business acumen. Charles Steen was a well-known investment banker and financial analyst with a reputation that spread out into international circles. His specialty was big money capital investments – shopping malls, high rises, office buildings – projects that required the raising of millions for their completion. Lifeline's father was also known as being market-savvy, making hundreds of thousands for both himself and his clients in the stock market.

While he wasn't quite up to his father's level, Edwin had managed to turn the modest trust fund that his mother had left him into a tidy sum – part of which had paid for the condominium in Cedar City. While originally intended to be nothing more than an investment, the condo had, over the past year, become a home – his first real one since Edwin had joined the Army.

Lifeline made a few on-line trades and responded to a few emails before logging off and shutting the computer down. There had been a short message from Bree complete with several attached photos of her recent trip to Europe. The two of them had finally called it quits between them, the heiress surprising Edwin with the announcement that she had met someone else. The medic was both relieved and a little disappointed to hear the news – relieved that he wouldn't have to break similar news himself, and maybe just a tad disappointed that Bree had found someone else to lavish her attention on. The two of them had parted amicably as friends with Bree promising to introduce her new beau to Edwin at the first opportunity.

While Edwin poked around in cyberspace, Billy was out in the parking area, in the midst of doing the oil change for Edwin's Jeep that the medic had mentioned needing to be done. Unlike Edwin, he had very little in the way of any kind of academic sense. He made up for it, he figured, with life experience, and a knack for any job that let him work with his hands. There weren't too many of those jobs around the condo, but Billy threw in a hand where he could. On top of being useful, the work itself kept the Marine occupied, which was relaxing for him.

Leaving his makeshift home office, Edwin paused to look out the window, his eyes pinpointing his Jeep in the parking lot, Billy's form bent over the open hood. Billy was unaware of the scrutiny, bent intently over his work. He'd just finished up, and was in the process of checking over the rest of the engine when the first flash of pain hit him as he stretched. Gritting his teeth, he clenched one fist, and shifted slightly as the pain slowly passed. 'I must've strained something...' he thought.

After watching the other man for a few moments, Edwin turned away and padded towards the kitchen. Lifeline stood in front of the refrigerator, the door opened, as he looked at the contents. It was still fairly early, but the medic was already contemplating dinner. After a few minutes he closed the door with a sigh, not finding anything within to be that appetizing. 'Hmm . . . maybe a pizza or something instead . . .' Edwin thought to himself as he reached for the small collection of take-out menus on top of the refrigerator.

'Time to call it quits for a little while.' When the pain died down some and Billy finished cleaning up his tools, he headed back into the condo, yanking off his grease-streaked shirt as he headed for the bathroom.

Edwin heard the front door close and footsteps as they crossed the hardwood floor of the living room. Menus in hand, he was starting towards the kitchen doorway when he stopped. 'He'll just say whatever . . .' Hesitating for a moment or two, he put the menus down on the counter before leaving the kitchen and making his way across the living room.

Billy was in the process of washing his hands and forearms, his back to the door as he rinsed away suds, dirt and oil. Hearing the water running in the bathroom, Lifeline stopped in the doorway. "Feel up to going out to eat tonight?"

"Sounds good to me," Billy replied, straightening up and wincing just a little as his back protested. 'Damn, Coen, just what the hell did you pull?'

Edwin's trained eye missed nothing. "Overdoing it again?" He asked, his eyes on the Marine's back.

"I guess I must've," Billy agreed softly, rewarded for his patience when the pain died down again. "Because my back sure as hell decided it doesn't like me."

The medic stepped forward a bit before reaching out, his fingertips lightly touching the other man's shoulder blade. "Maybe we should stay in instead."

Billy jumped a little at the initial contact, more from the unexpected touch than anything. His upper back was fine, but his lower back was heavily bruised, the broad purple marks painting stripes on his skin. Some were already fading, others looked somewhat fresh. "Nah, I'll be okay, long as I'm careful," he said with a shrug.

Edwin frowned a bit as he looked at the Marine's back, having asked more than once about the bruises, only to have his questions shrugged off. Ever since the night that he'd felt Billy's skin move under his hand, the medic had been more than a little concerned but had remained quiet, not wanting to start any potential arguments.

It wasn't as if Billy was entirely trying to be difficult, when it came to the bruises. The fact of the matter was, he just honestly didn't have a clue how he'd come by them, and wasn't entirely willing to admit that fact.

"On second thought, we could just order something in and spend a quiet night here."

"You sure?"

Edwin nodded his dark head. "It doesn't matter to me, really."

"Whatever you wanna do," Billy said with a nod of his own, turning to face the medic.

Lifeline looked at the Marine for a few moments before nodding his head. In truth, the idea of going out had appealed to him a great deal even though his face remained neutral. It must have shown in his eyes, Edwin decided, when Billy spoke again.

"Hey, Edwin...what do you really wanna do?" Billy said quietly. "If you want to go out, we can. My back'll be fine."

"Like I said, it doesn't really matter." The medic replied.

"Then let's go out. It's not like we get many chances to."

Lifeline nodded his head in agreement a few seconds later, smiling faintly as he did so. "Okay."

"So where are we going?"

"Tell you what," Edwin replied. "I'll surprise you."

Billy grinned at that. "Sounds good."

"Finish getting cleaned up. I'm going to change. We can leave whenever you're ready."

Billy nodded. "All right."

The medic was still smiling a bit as he turned away from the Marine, their destination already decided as he made his way to the bedroom to change his clothes.

* * *

The place that Edwin had chosen was the same one that he had taken Billy to celebrate the Marine joining the Joes. From the outside, it was a fairly non-descript stucco building with only a rather modest sign above the door. The place didn't look like much until you stepped inside. A local favorite for several decades, it had not changed very much since it originally opened its doors. The wooden tables were scarred and pitted, the lighting a bit dim, the wood paneled walls covered in photos of local livestock, neon beer signs, and nostalgic advertisements. Beer was served almost exclusively on tap in frosted glass mugs, while sodas and sweet-tea were offered up in ice-filled Mason jars. Nightly entertainment was provided by whatever couples might crowd onto the small dance floor near an old Rock-a-Rolla jukebox that was filled with southern rock, old honky-tonk standards, and boogie-based blues. Peanuts were strategically placed along the bar and on tables, the shells tossed to the floor carelessly while diners and drinkers talked and laughed over the music. The first time that the medic had taken Billy there, he knew that it had been the perfect the choice judging by the grin on the Marine's face moments after they had stepped through the front door. The same grin, in fact, that was sitting on Billy's face as they walked in again. "Good choice."

"Somehow I didn't think you'd mind," Edwin said as he scanned around looking for an empty table or booth. Spying an open booth near the bar, he pointed it out. "There's an open spot over there." Trusting that Billy would follow, the medic wound his way across the floor and slid into the booth.

The Marine was only a few steps behind Edwin, slipping into the booth across from the medic. He ran his fingertips over the heavily scarred tabletop, and smiled to himself. This was one place where he never felt uncomfortable, or under dressed. In fact, he blended right in and that was fine with him.

Within a few moments, a waitress appeared to take their drink orders, leaving behind a copy of the menu on the table – a single sided copy encased in a plastic cover. While there wasn't a lot of variety to choose from, the food was good and filling. The steaks were fresh, delivered daily from various area ranches and cooked on an open flame grill with mesquite chips, and the various side dishes were all home-made. It wasn't too long before the waitress returned, setting down mugs of beer on the table in front of the two men before taking their food orders.

Once she walked off again, Billy smiled. "I'm glad you picked this place. Lotta good memories here," He said, just loud enough to be heard over the jukebox.

"Memories?" Edwin asked with a slightly raised brow, his voice also a bit louder than normal. "I seem to recall you being a bit on the inebriated side when we left here the last time. I wouldn't think you were in any condition to remember much." The medic smiled and chuckled as he reached for his beer.

"I remember enough to know I wasn't the only one," Billy said with a laugh. "Besides, no way was I turning down an excuse to drink Gung Ho under the table."

Edwin's chuckle segued into a laugh as well. "I seem to recall you paying for that victory the next morning. Talk about crabby . . ."

"I wasn't that bad."

"You were decidedly . . . unfriendly first thing in the morning." Edwin hefted the mug and took a sip. "I think that was the first night you stayed at my place."

"I'm always unfriendly in the morning...well, the last few notwithstanding," Billy shot back, before taking a drink of his own beer.

Lifeline could feel the heat of the soft blush that crept up his neck, suddenly grateful for the dim lighting. Lifting the glass, he took another sip. Billy only smirked a little, Edwin's silence testimonial to the blush the Marine couldn't see. He took another swallow from his own mug and leaned back a little more comfortably into the booth. The medic's foot began tapping unconsciously to the music, an old ZZ Top song that he hadn't heard in ages while his dark eyes made a quick scan of the restaurant, looking for any familiar faces but not immediately seeing any. The crowd seemed to consist of mostly locals, all talking and laughing with one another. As his gaze alighted on the bar, he noticed a pair of women, one blonde and one brunette, who, when they noticed him looking in their direction, waved and smiled a bit coyly. Billy had noticed them as well, and couldn't help but smile back a little. "Well now, I don't remember them being in here before," he said to Edwin.

The two women turned and whispered to one another before looking back at Edwin and Billy, their gazes lingering on the Joes for a few moments before the brunette slid off the barstool, the blonde following her lead seconds later. "I think they're coming over here," Lifeline said as the women made their way through the crowd around the bar and moved in the direction of their table.

"Probably," Billy said with a nod, taking a sip of his beer.

"Well, what do we do?"

"Be nice, don't let 'em drag you off, and if worse comes to worse, tell her you're married."

The ladies approached their table, the brunette smiling as she looked at Billy and Edwin. "Hi," she said. "My friend and I saw you two sitting over here and well . . . we were wondering if uh, if maybe, um, you'd like, um, some company." Standing next to her friend, the blonde smiled a bit shyly and nodded her head.

Billy let his gaze slide over to Edwin, raising an eyebrow as if to say, "Your call." The medic looked at Billy almost helplessly, the situation not one he typically found himself in. Chuckling, Billy indicated the ladies were welcome to have a seat.

Their smiles brightening a bit, the two women looked at one another, almost as if communicating silently before moving to sit down in the booth, the blonde sliding in next to Edwin, who scooted over to make more room for her; and the brunette with Billy. It was the brunette who spoke first once everyone was settled. "I'm Sarah and this is Tiffany," she said indicating the blonde next to Edwin, who smiled shyly at the medic.

"Nice to meet you, ladies," Billy replied with a grin. "Name's Billy, and my buddy here is Edwin."

Just then their waitress reappeared to inquire as to whether or not the pair's new dining partners wanted to order drinks and food. It only took a few minutes for the women to give their orders, apparently being frequent patrons who had no need to look at the menu. Their server returned within minutes with a fresh round of drinks before returning to the kitchen to put in the new orders. "So, are you guys from the military base?" Tiffany asked after taking a sip from her glass, her brown eyes looking at the two men.

Billy nodded and grinned a little. "Does it show?"

"A little," Sarah replied. "But we won't hold it against you," she added with a grin. Tiffany giggled a little at her friend's joke, which even pulled a small smile from Edwin.

The four settled into light conversation at that. And Billy seemed at ease enough in the surroundings. The girls were good company, even if Sarah seemed a little too interested in him for his own good. 'Gonna have to be real careful, or she's gonna have me sitting in hot water up to my god damned eyebrows,' he thought.

As the four talked, the waitress appeared periodically to check their drinks and after a bit, deliver their meals, the conversation continuing on while they ate. Billy and Edwin learned that Tiffany was an elementary school teacher, while Sarah was an agent with a local real estate company. The two had apparently been best friends since school, both of them returning to Cedar City after graduating from college.

Lifeline and Billy contributed what they could about themselves, barring anything that could be considered top secret, such as their participation in G.I. Joe. As the group talked, even Edwin found himself starting to relax a bit in the women's friendly company.

While the group ate, someone had fired up the jukebox again, a string of old honky-tonk standards that drew a number of couples to the small dance floor, the dancers crowding in around one another until the jukebox was blocked from view. When Billy was finished eating, he leaned back in his seat comfortably, one boot tapping along with the beat as he drank his beer quietly, content to let the other three talk now that Edwin was relaxing some. Lifeline was speaking to Tiffany, the blonde's obvious interest apparently lost on him while he told her about some of his experiences as a combat medic. Watching her friend with Edwin, Sarah smiled a little before turning her gaze to the dance floor for a few moments, her own foot tapping under the table when one of her favorites started to play. Billy couldn't help but be amused by his lover's cluelessness, as well as a little grateful. It meant he only had to worry about himself, and the brunette sitting next to him.

Sarah glanced momentarily at the man next to her. Tiffany had noticed Billy and Edwin first as the two had made their way to the booth where they were now sitting, whispering about how cute "the one in the glasses" was, while Sarah's interest was drawn to the other. It didn't take much prodding to get her friend to agree to approach them. The music slowly faded away as the song ended, only to start up a few seconds later as the next one in the queue began to play. After another quick glance at the Marine, Sarah put her hand on Billy's arm. "Wanna dance?"

After a moment, Billy nodded with a smile. "Sure, why not? I don't think they'll mind the absence," He said, nodding his head slightly toward the other two, who were still lost in conversation.

The dark haired woman smiled as she flashed a quick glance at Edwin and Tiffany before sliding out of the booth. 'She always did like the nerdy ones,' Sarah thought to herself as she waited for Billy to join her. 'While I always liked the beefcake.' Her hazel eyes flicked over the Marine's form as he slid out of the booth next to her.

The Marine rose with a stretch, smiling a little as the new song turned out to be one of his own favorites. After a moment, he extended his arm to escort Sarah out onto the dance floor. Billy may have been far from the most cultured man in the world, but he had been taught a thing or two about how to treat a lady, and those lessons died hard.

Sarah looked a bit amused as she took the Marine's offered arm and allowed him to lead her to the floor, the pair of them slipping in between the other couples to find a small bit of open space for themselves. The song wasn't a slow one, but Billy was pleasantly surprised to find that Sarah knew the two-step as well as any woman he'd ever known, and it didn't take the two of them long to fall into the beat of the song. The dark-haired woman smiled as they danced, finding herself pleasantly surprised as well as the two moved in the small space they had found. The song was almost over when a petite blonde woman bumped into Billy as a few more dancers joined those on the already crowded floor. "Sorry," she said, giving the Marine an apologetic smile before moving away, her partner flicking his eyes over Billy as the two moved past. Billy didn't so much as flinch at that, giving the blonde a polite nod and a tip of his hat.

The song ended, the dancers pausing momentarily before the next one started, this one a much slower number than the previous one. Sarah looked at Billy, waiting to see if he would continue on or retreat back to the table. "Got a preference?" He asked to the unspoken question in her look, smiling a bit.

"I'm game," she said smiling a bit as well, the look in her eyes hinting that she just might mean more than just dancing. Billy decided that was a good time to play ignorant and not notice said look as they slowed their pace to match the new song.

* * *

Still talking at the table, Edwin glanced over to find the bench across from he and Tiffany empty. Before he could comment on it, the blonde answered his thoughts. "They went to go dance."

"Oh . . ." Turning his attention away from the blonde, Lifeline looked over at the dance floor but found it impossible to pick out Billy and Sarah amidst the crowd in the dim lighting. "Um did you . . . " Edwin started as he turned his eyes back to Tiffany.

The young woman shook her head. "Not if you don't want to."

The medic felt himself blush a little and he reached his hand behind his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "I uh, I really can't dance."

Tiffany shyly smiled at Edwin, finding the action to be just this side of adorable. "I'm not really all that good either."

Billy and Sarah were moving in their small space, both of them just enjoying the music and the dance when the petite blonde from earlier once again bumped into Billy from behind. The bump was a little rougher than before, enough to make Billy turn and steady the smaller woman. It only took a glance to see that the repeated bumps weren't her fault. Her partner was obviously three sheets to the wind, and couldn't have walked a straight line if his life had depended on it. "You okay, ma'am?" He asked quietly.

"S-Sorry," she said, her eyes glancing at her boyfriend who was all by glaring at the Marine.

"Why don't you just climb into his lap?" The man said roughly, pulling the woman closer to him by her arm.

"Easy, buddy," Billy said, frowning slightly. "It was an accident and no harm done."

"Piece of advice, _cowboy_, mind your own business." Came the gruff reply, the man once again yanking the blonde by her arm as he jerked her to his side.

Billy's eyes narrowed at that, and he resisted the urge to sock the man dead in the face. "Anybody treats a lady like you do and it _becomes_ my business," He replied. "I think you missed a few lessons in manners."

Sarah unobtrusively slipped her arm from Billy's and took a few steps back, sensing trouble. A regular, she was familiar with the inebriated man, having fended off his advances a few times in the past. Even when he wasn't drunk, the man had a reputation as a bully with a short temper. Releasing the blonde, the big man pushed her to the side as he took a step closer to the Marine. "And I think you need to learn a few about keeping your nose outta other people's business."

Billy spread his arms away from his body in a silent bring-it-on gesture. "By all means, if you think you're man enough to teach me," he replied.

The song on the jukebox came to an end, the player falling silent. The hum of conversation also died away as attention was drawn to the dance floor while the other dancers began to shift away, leaving an open space around Billy and the other man. "C'mon Jimmy . . ." the petite blonde reached out towards her boyfriend, her hand only managing to brush his big arm before he roughly pushed her away.

Finally noticing the hushed silence that had fallen, Edwin and Tiffany broke off their conversation and looked around to see what was going on, their eyes falling on the dance floor, the crowd having thinned out enough so that they could both see what appeared to be Billy and another man apparently facing off with one another. 'What the . . .?' the medic almost couldn't believe his eyes. 'What the hell is he doing?'

"Stay here," he instructed Tiffany as he maneuvered himself to his feet on the bench and crawled over the table, which thankfully had been cleared of dishes and utensils by the waitress while the medic and the blonde had been talking, leaving only the near empty beer glasses. Leaping down to the floor, Edwin started towards the dance floor, weaving through the crowd. Tiffany opened her mouth to call Lifeline back, but closed it as she momentarily lost sight of him as he slid into the crowd.

* * *

Billy didn't so much as twitch as his cold gaze stayed locked on the other man. The Marine was pissed, and every fiber of his being screamed at him to knock his opponent flat. But he possessed enough of a reasoning mind to know that starting a fight in a bar wouldn't exactly be the smartest course of action. "Maybe you and me oughta take this outside, Slick," He said in a low tone.

Sarah had edged away from the two men along with the rest of the crowd, her hazel gaze flicking between the two of them. Pushing his way through the assembled crowd as politely as he could, Edwin broke through into the open area on the dance floor around Billy and the other man. "Billy!" he called to the Marine.

Billy's eyes flicked to Edwin momentarily, and that turned out to be a big mistake. He caught the sight of Jimmy's fist flying out of his peripheral vision, and a moment later, was staggering back a step as the punch clipped his jaw, jarring his head with enough force to knock his hat free. "That...was a really stupid fucking thing to do," He growled at the man.

"No!" The word left the medic's lips, even though he knew it was too late, his dark eyes squeezing shut as the unknown man's fist connected with Billy's jaw. Within seconds, his eyes flashed open and immediately went to the Marine. "Billy, don't."

"Keep outta this, Edwin," Billy replied, before straightening up. He wiped away a trickle of blood with the back of his hand. The glare he leveled on the other man promising a slow and painful death. Or at least a thorough maiming.

"Better listen to your friend, Four-Eyes," Jimmy all but spit at Lifeline, his wary gaze never leaving Billy. "Unless you wanna be next."

A muscle in Billy's jaw twitched. "Leave him outta this, asshole," he snarled. "And let's take this outside like a coupla civilized men, all right?"

"Nobody is taking anything anywhere." Edwin said, his eyes leveled on Billy. "Don't make me pull rank on you."

That earned the medic a glare, and several tense seconds passed before the Marine gave a curt nod. "Sir," He said, picking up his hat, turning wordlessly, and heading for the door. The last thing he heard before stepping outside was several of Jimmy's friends apologizing profusely for his behavior as they tried to usher him out a different door.

Lifeline closed his eyes for a moment as he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. Opening them, he found that most of the crowd had dispersed with only a few people milling nearby, Sarah among them. "Sorry," he said to the dark-haired woman. Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out his wallet, took out several bills and pressed them into her hand, "For dinner." He slipped the wallet back into his pocket. "It was really nice to meet you both." With a slight nod of his head, he left her and headed towards the door.

* * *

He found Billy leaning against his truck, smoking a cigarette. The hat had been dusted off and was perched on top of his head again, his bloody lip swelling, but no longer actively bleeding. It was clear just from the tenseness of Billy's stance that he was still pissed. Edwin stopped a few feet away from Billy and looked at the man silently for a few moments, the air heavy with the Marine's anger. Billy didn't look up, and didn't speak. Just took a long drag off his cigarette, holding the smoke in his lungs for a few moments, before exhaling it in a thin stream. "Do you want me to drive home?" Lifeline's voice was soft, yet it seemed loud in the quiet dimness of the parking lot.

"Nope. I'll be fine," Billy replied quietly, clearly straining to keep from outright snapping at the medic. "I didn't have that much to drink."

The medic fell silent, still sensing the anger rolling off Billy. "You know why I had to stop you." Edwin said after a couple of minutes.

"Doesn't mean I have to like letting assholes like that get away with pushing around their women."

"He was drunk, Billy."

"It woulda made me feel better," Billy grumbled, taking the last drag of his cigarette.

"While you were sitting in the brig?" Edwin asked.

Billy bristled a little at that, but shrugged. "It's kind of a moot point now," he said, reaching into the cab of the truck to put out the cigarette in the ashtray.

Silence fell once again, the tension between the two men not lessening. The jukebox in the bar had started up again, faint snatches of music escaping every time someone entered or exited the building. "I'm ready to go whenever you are," Edwin said after a few minutes, his eyes flicking back to Billy's partially shadowed face.

"Okay," Billy said with a slight nod, the motion barely making the bill of his hat dip a little.

Lifeline sighed a bit and closed his eyes for a moment. 'I guess it was too good to last,' he thought to himself. The medic ran his hand through his dark hair, remembering the look on the Marine's face when he'd threatened to pull rank on him. 'Why the hell did I say that to him?'

Billy climbed into the truck and pulled his hat off, setting it down in the center seat. He closed the door, rolled down the window, and started the engine. While he waited for Lifeline to climb into the truck, he shook another cigarette from his pack and put it to his lips, lighting it. Edwin was shaken out of his reverie by the sound of the truck starting up. Silently he opened the door and climbed in. After closing the door, he automatically reached for the seatbelt and locked it into place.

* * *

The drive back to Edwin's condo was a silent one. Billy didn't dare say anything, not while he was still angry. He was overreacting to Edwin's remark and he knew it. The medic had only been trying to spare him a severe reprimand and possible brig time for fighting. Still, he couldn't help but feel that Edwin had played dirty, threatening to pull rank. 'Yeah, but you wouldn't have listened to him any other way, would you?' He thought.

The drive back seemed to take twice as long, and it seemed like forever before Billy's black truck pulled into the empty space alongside Lifeline's Jeep. Glancing out the front windshield, Edwin looked up at the darkened windows of his apartment for a moment before looking back at the Marine. Billy had finished his cigarette, and leaned back in the seat, before glancing over at Edwin as he set the parking brake. "Did you . . ." the medic started after a few moments, "were you going to come up?" He finished, dropping his gaze a little.

"If you still want me to," Billy replied quietly.

Lifeline nodded his dark head slightly. "I – I do . . ." his voice whispered. Nodding at that, Billy reached up and killed the ignition, pulling the key out and releasing his seatbelt. Reaching down, Edwin unlocked his seatbelt as well before opening the door and sliding out of the truck.

The walk up to the apartment was almost as silent as the drive over had been, and Billy couldn't help but feel guilt starting to sink its claws into him. Inserting the key into the lock, Edwin quietly opened the door, pushing it wider as he stepped inside and flicked the switch on the wall, turning on the two lamps in the living room before continuing inside and tossing his keys on the coffee table.

Billy's keys were dropped back into his pocket, his hat coming off once again and hung on a hook by the door. It was one of the few additions he'd made to the condo, actually. As his hand dropped away from the hat and his eyes tracked Lifeline through the house, he fought the urge to sigh, closing the door behind him and locking it.

Lifeline continued on and into the bedroom where he kicked off his shoes in front of the closet before moving to sit down on the edge of the bed. Pushing his glasses up on his forehead, he rubbed at his dark eyes with his fingertips. Walking on silent feet, Billy followed Edwin into the other room, and sank down beside Lifeline on the bed. His glasses still pushed up off his face, the medic turned to look at the Marine. "It's been a long day," he said, his voice soft and slightly weary sounding.

"I know..." Billy's tone was soft as he spoke.

Taking off his glasses, Edwin reached over and set them on the nightstand before ruffling his hand through his short dark hair. Rising back to his feet, he padded over to the dresser and opened one of the drawers, rummaging around for a moment before pulling out a pair of pajama bottoms and a plain white t-shirt.

Billy found himself caught in a moment of indecision. On the one hand, he wondered if he should go get comfortable on the couch. On the other, Edwin didn't seem to still be upset with him. "Want me...to leave you be?" he finally asked very quietly.

Lifeline shook his head bit. "I'm just going to change and then probably turn in. I'm kinda beat."

"All right," Billy said with a nod. "I'm gonna have one more smoke, then I think I may do the same..."

The medic nodded slightly before heading towards the bathroom and closing the door quietly. Shrugging off his clothes, he slipped on the pajamas and the t-shirt before turning on the tap and splashing his face with cool water and patting it with a towel. Making his way back to the bedroom, he turned down the bed and sat down on the edge of it again for a few moments before pulling his legs up and slipping under the covers.

* * *

By the time Edwin was slipping into bed, Billy had already gone out onto the balcony for a smoke. He couldn't help but notice Edwin's behavior, and it was making him feel more and more like a jerk. 'He's acting like a god damned kicked puppy...fuck.' Billy thought as he sank down into one of the two chairs and sighed heavily

Lying on his side, his bent arm pillowing his dark head, Lifeline's eyes stared at the slightly fuzzy wall across from him. Billy took his time with the cigarette, letting the last of his agitation float away on a stream of smoke. When he finally had a better hold on himself, he headed back inside, keeping as quiet as possible so that he wouldn't wake Edwin if the medic had fallen asleep as he entered the bedroom.

Lifeline was just starting to drift off when Billy returned, the medic only vaguely aware of the Marine as he entered the room. When Lifeline didn't stir at his arrival, Billy nodded a little to himself and leaned against the wall to remove his boots instead of sitting on the bed. He stripped down to his boxer briefs before climbing slowly into the bed himself.

Edwin stirred slightly at the movement, a soft sound escaping from him before he settled down once more. Wordlessly, Billy rolled onto his side, spooning up against Edwin and sliding an arm around him. He wouldn't be surprised if he was pushed away, but he wanted a chance to reassure the medic that he, at least, wasn't angry anymore.

Although he was more asleep then awake, Edwin was vaguely aware of the warm body against his and he instinctively shifted a bit to press back closer to it, another small sound escaping from him. Billy nuzzled the back of Edwin's neck with a faint smile, and closed his eyes as he felt the beginnings of sleep tugging at him.

* * *

_Thump, thump . . . the pulsing mass continued its steady rhythm . . . Thump, thump . . . the beat strong as it pumped blood throughout the huge, misshapen body, giving life to the grotesque creature. Thump, thump . . . He could hear it, the sound loud and unwavering as the creature drew closer, the steady tattoo mixed with the scratching sound of the thing's claws as they dragged on the ground, the razor sharp talons cutting trails into the floor as the creature continued to move towards him._

_Thump, thump . . . he could feel his own heart beating in his chest, each constriction poised in time with the panting breaths that escaped from his slightly parted lips. He was trapped, with no where left to run, with nothing between him and the slowly advancing monstrosity. The thing seemed to be taking it's time, almost as if it knew that its quarry had run out of options. Thump, thump . . . the sound seemed to drown out everything, with only his own panting breaths and the hissing snick of the creature's claws along the ground. Thump, thump . . . like the tolling of a death knell . . . thump, thump . . . the impossibly long arm reaching out for him . . . thump, thump . . . he didn't even have time for a final scream before the pointed dagger-like claws speared him and pinned him to the wall . . ._

His heart beating wildly in his chest, Lifeline started awake, his hand going to his chest while his breath came in panting gasps. 'God . . '

Billy roused a little as Lifeline jerked as he woke. "Hnn? Edwin?" He murmured softly, the words slurred.

It had been months since Edwin had dreamed of the Tyrant, the Umbrella-created monstrosity that had been after Billy when the two had first met. Even then, they had never been as vivid as this one. It was almost as if he could hear and feel the beat of the thing's massive heart, the organ located outside of its chest and clearly visible. While they had slept, Edwin had shifted in his sleep, turning towards Billy and curling up against him, his head resting on the Marine's chest. "G-Go back to s-sleep," he said softly not wanting to wake Billy over something as trivial as a nightmare.

"M'kay," was the still bleary response as sleep pulled the Marine back down into its warm depths, his arms wrapping around Edwin as he did.

Settling back into his lover's embrace, Edwin rested his head on Billy's muscular chest as his body slowly came back down, his breathing and heartbeat returning to normal before he once again closed his dark eyes. As he lay there, the side of his face pressed against the warm tanned skin of the Marine's chest, Lifeline could hear the beating of Billy's heart, the sound steady, the rhythm deep and strong. As he listened however, the medic began to frown.

_Thump, thump . . ._

Lifeline's frown deepened.

_Thump, thump . . ._

The sound began to permeate the medic's thoughts.

_Thump, thump . . ._

Lifting his head a little, Edwin looked up at Billy. 'No, can't be.' After a few moments, he put his ear back to the Marine's chest, closing his eyes as he listened carefully. Several minutes later, the medic opened his eyes and pulled back a bit, his gaze going back to Billy's sleeping, shadowed face. Listening to the beat of the Marine's heart, Lifeline had immediately been struck by the volume of it. Without a stethoscope to listen properly, the medic couldn't be sure, but it was almost as if there was the resonance of an echo – like a mirror beat. Billy's heart also seemed to be beating a bit faster than it normally should for someone who was relaxed and asleep. If it troubled Billy, the Marine gave no sign, his face expressionless as he slept.

The frown still marring his face, Edwin was tempted to slip out of bed to retrieve the scope in his field med kit, but thought better of it. He doubted that Billy would appreciate him trying to "play doctor" in the middle of the night. After several minutes, his gaze on the sleeping brunette, Lifeline was just about to resettle himself when the stillness of the room was broken by the loud trilling of a Joe-issued wrist communicator.

The sound woke Billy as well, whose hand immediately reached for his own communicator, laying on the nightstand. Slipping away from the Marine, Edwin stretched out his arm, his fingers scrabbling on the other nightstand for both his comm and his glasses. Flicking the device on, he spoke into it. "Lifeline here," he said as he settled the wire rims on his face. Billy propped himself up on one elbow, still too groggy to be fully aware, but forcing his eyes open regardless.

"Guess what buddy?" Main Frame's voice floated out of the comm's speaker. "You're it."

"Got it," the medic said as he pushed back the bed covers and swung his long legs over so that his feet were touching the floor.

"You got twenty minutes." The link went dead.

That brought Billy around, and he watched Edwin quietly. "...sounds heavy..." he managed to murmur.

As soon as Main Frame's voice had faded, Lifeline was on his feet and heading towards the closet. Pulling open the door, he hastily grabbed a pair of athletic shoes and began to slip them on. "I wonder what's going on," he said before leaning down to tighten the laces on his shoes before tying them.

"...Need a ride in?" Billy offered.

The medic shook his head as he made his way back over to the bed, grabbing his watch from the nightstand and strapping it on. "It's probably better if I go alone," he said as he did the same with the communicator.

Billy nodded at that; it did make better sense, when he rolled it over in his head again. He watched the medic as he strapped on the watch and the communicator. He wanted to apologize for his behavior earlier that night. It seemed wrong, somehow, to let Edwin walk away with that kind of tension between them. He was a soldier; there was always a chance he wouldn't come home. But try as Billy might, the words just wouldn't come. "...Be careful."

Lifeline looked at Billy, a faint smile turning up the edges of his mouth a bit as he nodded his head slightly. "You can stay the rest of the night if you want."

The Marine returned the smile with a slight one of his own. "Thanks."

"Doesn't make much sense to get up and drive back to the base just to go back to bed." Moving over to the dresser, Edwin grabbed his dog tags, slipping the chain over his dark head before tucking the silvery-gray tags under the collar of his t-shirt. Reaching for his wallet, he grabbed it in his hand before moving towards the doorway and heading towards the living room.

Billy slipped from the bed, padding on silent feet up behind the medic and embracing him briefly from behind. Again, he tried to apologize, that sense of urgency not to let Edwin leave without hearing it nagging at him. And again, he failed to get the words out as he released the medic and stepped back a little. "Hey," Edwin said as he turned to face the Marine. "Try not to worry too much, okay? I don't want you giving yourself an ulcer or something while I'm gone." The medic smiled faintly as he echoed the same words that Billy had said to him a couple of months ago.

"Worry? About you?" Billy replied with a faint smile, echoing Edwin's reply from that same night.

Lifeline's smile widened for a moment as he looked at the other man. "I gotta go," he said after a few moments before turning away to retrieve his keys from the coffee table. Knowing that he could be called out with a moment's notice, Edwin kept a duffel bag loaded with his field med kit, an extra uniform and various other odds and ends so that he could be ready to move within minutes of getting a call up. Billy said nothing more, watching as Edwin grabbed the bag and his keys. Moving towards the door, Lifeline reached for the knob and turned to look at the Marine one last time. "Go back to bed," he instructed, smiling faintly at the other man.

"I will."

Framed in the doorway, Lifeline paused for a moment his dark eyes still on Billy before he quietly turned and headed out, pulling the door closed behind him. Billy turned away from the door once it was closed, a weight settling over his heart. He couldn't help but wonder if he'd made some terrible mistake, and prayed to any deity that might still listen to him that he was wrong. Tossing the duffel into the passenger seat, Edwin climbed into his vehicle and put the key in the ignition, his eyes going up to the curtained window of the condo for a moment before he clicked the seatbelt into place. Putting the Jeep in gear, he then hit the gas.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Sitting in his office in The Pit, his tall muscular frame erect in the padded swivel chair, Duke was signing off on the various reports, memos and requisitions that kept the G.I. Joe team up and running, theblonde having opted to skip the dining hall in favor of catching up on paperwork. Knowing that Duke was swamped with work, Scarlett had brought up a tray for the blue-eyed man, staying for a bit while he ate, the two of them talking about various things having to do with the team, until the red-head had taken her leave and left Duke to finish his work. He was just starting on a stack of supply requisitions when his phone began to ring. "Duke, here." The blonde said as he answered, his blue eyes going to the clock on the wall across from him, noting the late hour.

"Good evening, Duke," said a voice, the gender of which was indistinguishable. "It's so nice to finally get to speak with you. I heard you had quite the scare a few weeks ago."

The page in Duke's hand fell to the desktop. "Who is this?" He demanded.

"Merely a...concerned third party."

"Look, whoever you are," the blonde said. "This line is for official military business."

"And this will very quickly become official military business, I assure you. You have a time bomb in your midst, Duke."

"Do you know what the penalty is for making bomb threats against a military installation?" An angry tone was creeping into Duke's voice. "This call can be traced."

There was a pause, almost as if the caller was considering that, before they went on. "I think you take me too literally, Duke. This isn't your typical time bomb. I would keep a close eye on Lieutenant Coen, if I were you."

'Coen?' "Who is this? What is this all about?"

"I've told you all I dare, Sir, and I've really been on the phone far too long. Good day." And with that, the line went dead.

"Hello? Hello?" With a frustrated sound, Duke all but slammed the handset back down on the phone. Muttering a few choice words under his breath, the big man switched on his wrist communicator. "Dial Tone? This is Duke, come in. Dial Tone?"

After a few minutes, Duke's call was answered. "Dial Tone here." The communications specialist's voice crackled over the link. "What can I do you for?"

"I need you to see if you can trace a call that just came in on the land line in my office."

"Sure thing," Dial Tone replied. "I'll get right on it."

Without any further comment, Duke flicked off his communicator and leaned back in his chair a bit. 'Coen . . . a time bomb . . .' The blonde's brows crooked together in a deep frown as he sat silently for several long minutes before rising to his feet. Moving over towards a bank of locked file drawers, Duke pulled a ring of small keys from his pocket. Going immediately to the cabinet that he wanted, he slipped the key into the lock and opened the drawer. It only took him a few moments to locate the file and after closing and relocking the cabinet he took it back to his desk. As he sat down, he looked at the thick manila folder, Billy Coen's name typed neatly on the label covering the tab.

* * *

His duffel bag slung over his shoulder, his med kit strapped to his back, Lifeline disembarked from the Skyhawk, jumping down to the hard ground with practiced ease. After adjusting the duffel a bit, the medic headed over to one of the waiting Jeeps to catch a ride to the main building of the sprawling Joe complex. 

His driver was a Green Shirt, a young corporal who didn't look a day over twenty if that. 'God, they look younger every day,' Edwin thought to himself as the young man put the vehicle in gear and fed it some gas. 'Then again, maybe it's just because I'm getting older.' Sighing wearily, Lifeline let his mind drift during the short journey -- a jumble of images from the past two weeks, as well as the last time that he had seen Billy Coen. The medic was pulled from his musings by the Jeep's halt in front of the main building. Shaking himself out of his thoughts he thanked the driver before slipping out of the vehicle and heading inside.

As he stepped into the building, he found Marcel Hancock, the medic of Billy's unit, heading his way. The young man was still in a sling, having been released to light duty, but his expression as he approached Edwin was grave. "Corporal," Lifeline smiled at the younger man. "Finally out and about, huh?"

"Yes, Sir," Hancock replied, hesitating when he realized he couldn't salute with his arm in the sling. "Er...you'll excuse me if I don't salute, Sir."

"That's quite alright, Corporal." Edwin's smile widened a bit despite the weariness that he felt. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm all right, Sir...a little worried about the Lieutenant, though..."

The smile slid from Lifeline's face, his look becoming more concerned. "Lieutenant Co . . . er, Devil Dog?"

Hancock nodded. "Yes, Sir. I'm worried about him."

Edwin glanced around for a moment, frowning slightly. "Why don't we go down to my office, and you can tell me," he offered up.

The younger medic nodded, his shoulders sagging in relief. "Yes, Sir."

* * *

Setting the duffel bag down on the floor next to his desk, Lifeline invited Hancock to sit down before shrugging off his field med kit and leaving it next the bag. Sitting down in the chair in front of his desk, he removed his helmet and set it down on the desktop. "Why are you worried about the Lieutenant?" 

Hancock settled on the edge of the chair, hesitating for a few moments as he gathered his thoughts. "...Permission to speak freely, Sir?"

Edwin nodded his dark head. "Of course Corporal, whatever is on your mind."

"Sir, he's been acting really weird lately. I don't think he's well at all. He's been aggressive, agitated...he got into a fight with Leatherneck the other day, and he's even been snapping at Gung Ho. He's also been isolating himself. I'm worried about him, and so is the rest of our unit. It's almost like he's having some kinda breakdown or something..."

As the younger man spoke, the look on Lifeline's face changed from a slight frown to one of deep concern. "When did all this start?" He asked.

Hancock frowned at that. "The first signs of it were about two weeks ago."

"Have any of you tried talking to him?"

"Strong did. He about took her head off verbally."

"I see." Edwin fell silent for a few moments. "I appreciate you coming to me and telling me about this." Hancock nodded, but said nothing more. "I – I'm really not sure what I can do. I don't have any authority to override how Devil Dog runs his unit, and there isn't much I can do about any disciplinary problems that have come up." The medic fell silent once more, thinking. "You said you thought he was ill?"

Once again, the young medic nodded. "It's kinda hard to tell, but he looks like he's lost a little color."

Edwin thought for a few moments, trying to remember if Billy had complained of anything specific since before he left. The only thing that Lifeline could think of was the mysterious bruising on the Marine's back, and that hardly seemed like it could be the cause of the type of behavior that Hancock had described. "Like I said, I'm not sure what I can do. Why did you come to me with this?"

"...Because I'm not sure how to approach him with it, and I thought I'd come to you for advice..." Hancock offered a small smile. "You seem to have a... way with the Lieutenant. Since you guys are such close friends and all."

Before Edwin could reply, however, there was a sudden sharp knock at the door, and Kenya Strong's powerful voice came through the door, only slightly muffled. "Open up, you guys, this is important!"

Lifeline frowned as he turned towards the door, not immediately recognizing the voice. Rising from his seat, the medic opened the door.

"Kenya?" Hancock looked startled to see the woman. "What's going--"

She didn't even wait for him to finish, giving Edwin a hasty salute as she said, "Something's happened to the big guy." She turned away, obviously expecting the other two to follow her as she headed out the door, Hancock already on her heels. "Hutch sent me to find you."

'Billy!' With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Edwin followed the Corporal out the door, pausing only for a few seconds to turn back and grab his med kit before doing so.

* * *

"What's going on?" Hancock asked, walking briskly to keep up with his teammate. "What's wrong?" 

"I don't know what's wrong!" Kenya snapped back. "You're the damn medic."

"Last I checked, I wasn't psychic. Give me a clue?"

Kenya shook her head. "I'm not sure I can explain it. He was going over some stuff with Hutch and Dale...and he just froze up."

"Froze up?" Lifeline asked, the medic's long legs easily keeping pace with Strong. "What do you mean? Froze up how?"

"Just froze up suddenly," Strong said, snapping her fingers. "Just like that. It was like somebody flipped a switch or something."

"Did he lose consciousness?" Edwin asked worriedly as he picked up his pace a bit.

Strong shook her head again. "No...well, I don't think so. His eyes were wide open."

"Where is he?" Lifeline asked, his hand gripping his med kit a bit tighter.

"They're down at the practice range," Strong said, turning a corner as she spoke; Hancock was still right on her heels.

Without another word, the medic stepped past the two soldiers as he started to jog down the hallway, his booted feet echoing on the pale tiled floor.

* * *

It didn't take long for the three of them to make it to the practice range. It was mostly deserted on this particular day, and that made it even easier to see the two women standing near Billy. Once she caught sight of them, Strong hastened her steps toward them. Billy was on his knees, eyes cast downward, trembling with his arms crossed across his chest. He was wearing full fatigues in spite of the heat, his hands clenching at the sleeves of his jacket with a white-knuckled grip. Beside him, Hutchinson was kneeling, while Dale seemed to be on lookout for whoever might be coming to help. 

Edwin felt something clench in his chest as he caught sight of the Marine; and he had to bite his lip to keep from crying out Billy's name as he rushed forward, only steps behind Kenya Strong. Dropping to one knee on the side opposite of Hutchinson, Lifeline set his med kit down next to him and flipped it open. "Devil Dog?" The medic's voice was soft as he spoke to Billy.

If Billy heard Edwin, he gave no sign, and now that the medic was closer, it was easier to see the sheen of sweat on the man's skin. Billy was pale, even under his tan, and it made the soft pants that were his breathing seem all the more unnatural. Silently motioning the others to move back from Billy a bit, Lifeline tried once again. "Devil Dog? Billy?"

The others looked questioningly at Hutchinson, who nodded in agreement with Lifeline's unspoken order. Dale, Strong, and the others backed up obediently, looking at their commanding officer with obvious concern. "Any idea what's wrong with him?" Strong hissed at Hancock.

The younger medic shook his head and whispered back. "I've never seen anything quite like this."

Billy parted his lips, as if to speak, when his eyes widened in surprise and pain. A gasp escaped him, and he doubled over, his eyes still staring unseeingly at the ground. Edwin leaned in a bit closer to the Marine. Raising his hand, he lightly laid it on Billy's shoulder. "C'mon, Coen, come back to us. You can do it."

Billy turned his head toward Edwin, even that slight motion seeming to cause him pain as his eyes rested on the medic's face. "It's okay. Let it go . . . we're right here." Lifeline kept his tone gentle as he tried to coax Billy back from wherever he had gone to inside his mind. The medic couldn't help be reminded of a similar episode that had happened not too long after he had met the Marine.

"...I'm...sorry..." the Marine whispered softly, the words kept at a tone none but Edwin could hear.

"I know . . . " Lifeline whispered back, only vaguely aware of the others in the room, their eyes locked on the two kneeling men. "It's okay."

That drew a faint smile to Billy's lips, before he gasped again and grit his teeth hard. "...Something's...happening..." he hissed out.

Edwin frowned, his dark eyes on his lover, taking in the physical distress that the Marine seemed to be under. Sliding his hand away from the other brunette's shoulder, Lifeline flipped on his wrist communicator. "Infirmary? Lifeline here." He waited a few beats for his hail to be answered. "C'mon people, wake up down there."

After a few moments, his call was answered. "Lieutenant Sorenson here, Sir."

"I'm at the practice range. I need a gurney, stat."

"Yes Sir, right away." The tone of Sorenson's voice was all business and Edwin could faintly hear her barking out orders to someone else over the comm link. "What's the nature of the emergency?" She asked after a minute or so.

"Unknown," Lifeline replied, his dark gaze on the man next to him. "Have one of the exam rooms ready when we get there."

"Yes, Sir." Came the prompt reply. "The gurney is on its way. We'll be ready and waiting. Sorenson, out."

Hancock ventured closer and looked at Lifeline. "Is there anything I can do to help, Sir?" He asked.

"You've helped a great deal already, Corporal." Edwin said as he looked up at the younger man, favoring Hancock with a small smile.

Hancock nodded, and fell back beside Strong again as they waited anxiously for the gurney to arrive. Billy, oblivious to their conversation, closed his eyes and was praying softly. The pain was becoming a more constant thing now, stretching seconds into painful eternities. His gaze went wordlessly to Edwin's face again, blue eyes glazed with pain. Lifeline looked at the Marine, a furrow of concern and worry marring his brow. Reaching out to Billy once again, he placed his fingers on the side of the other man's neck, finding the pulse to be strong, yet unusually rapid. His fingers slipping away, he lightly touched Billy's face – his cheeks, and then his forehead – the Marine's pale skin cool and clammy to the touch. "Where does it hurt?"

"E-Everywhere..." Billy groaned out, his eyes closing a bit at the touch.

Before Edwin had a chance to investigate any further, the gurney arrived, accompanied by a pair of white-clad orderlies. Waving the men over, Edwin rose to his feet. Without any instruction, the orderlies moved to either side of Billy and lifted him up, carrying him to the waiting gurney and laying him down on it. After the Marine was settled, Edwin bent down to close and retrieve his med kit. "Let's get him back to the infirmary."

Hancock stepped forward as they started rushing the gurney off. "I'll give you a report later, Hutch," he said, before hurrying after the gurney.

* * *

Once they had Billy down in the Infirmary, his BDU jacket and shirt were removed, giving Edwin his first unobscured view of the Marine's torso. What had begun as a few bruises on his back had spread to wide stripes of swollen, discolored flesh along his back and chest as well as his upper arms. 

"Jesus Christ," Lifeline murmured under his breath as the marks were revealed, his dark eyes going from Billy's chest to the Marine's face. "What happened?"

"Woke...up with 'em..." Billy murmured in response.

After snapping on a pair of latex gloves, Edwin bent over the Marine to get a better look at the marks and to prod lightly at a few of them. "How long ago?" He asked.

Billy hissed and tried to twist away from even the gentle prodding. "Day or two ago...I figured it was a training accident...we've been...drilling a lot."

"Are these only on your upper body?" Lifeline asked as he straightened, his eyes going back to Billy's face.

Billy nodded. "I think so."

"Lieutenant Sorenson," Edwin's gaze shifted to the blonde woman waiting just inside the entrance of the exam room. "Pull Devil Dog's file. I want to see the results from his last physical."

"Yes, Sir," Sorenson replied before turning smartly on her heel and disappearing.

Billy fell silent once Edwin's attention was turned away from him, closing his eyes and trying to will the pain away. Quite conscious of where they were, Lifeline still couldn't help reaching over to lightly touch the back of the Marine's hand. The touch brought a faint smile to Billy's lips, an expression that was quickly washed away by a fresh wave of pain, this one sharper than the others. Rolling onto his side, he curled up nearly into a fetal position, his teeth grinding together to keep him from crying out. "Billy!" Impulsively, the medic reached out for the other man. The gaze that met Edwin's was terrified and yet again, Edwin felt something clench in his chest as he looked at Billy. "You're going to be all right," the medic said softly, his voice choked with emotions that he tried to suppress. "Just hold on, okay?"

A few moments later, Sorenson returned, a dark gray folder in her hands. "Here's the file, Sir," the blonde said as she handed the sheaf over to Lifeline.

Taking a few steps away from Billy, Edwin flipped the file open and scanned the first few pages. "The results from quarantine blood test are missing," he said, looking up at Sorenson.

"They weren't completed, Sir."

The look that Lifeline gave the woman was one of puzzlement. "Once the quarantine was lifted . . . well the remaining samples were kind of put on the back burner, if you will – the Lieutenant's unit among them. The only work that was really done with them was updating Hutchinson's blood type. The sample we drew from her didn't match her file," Sorenson said, looking just slightly uncomfortable. Edwin's features tightened. "B-but we do still have them, Sir. I can get them for you, if you wish." The young woman offered up.

"You do that, Lieutenant," came the slightly curt reply. With a slight nod of her head, Sorenson disappeared once again.

* * *

"Your report?" The Baroness' accented voice cracked over the comm link, the tone one of authority. 

Hidden within a supply closet in one of the lesser used sub levels of Joe Headquarters, a shadowed figure raised a similar comm link to it's mouth as it whispered a reply. "Activation was successful."

"You're sure?"

"Yes ma'am. I have visual confirmation." Came the whispered reply.

"Excellent." The figure could hear the smile in the Baroness' tone. "Just one more step, and your contract is finished."

The figure nodded, unseen to the woman on the end of the link. "Just make sure there's some transportation when I signal for a pick up," it instructed.

"All taken care of," the Baroness replied smoothly. "And the rest of your fee will be wired from my private account once you return, just as we agreed."

"Pleasure doing business with you." Switching the comm off, the figure couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Billy's pain didn't subside, even a little, eventually requiring pain killers to even allow the Marine to rest. He was sleeping now, occasionally twitching in his sleep, evidence that the pain hadn't totally subsided. Seated at a work counter several feet away from sleeping Marine, Edwin's dark brows crooked together as he frowned, once again adjusting the magnification on the microscope he was currently looking through. While he had waited for Sorenson to return, the medic had given his lover a thorough once over, double checking Billy's vitals and temperature, finding them both higher than normal, but not alarmingly so. 

Physically, Lifeline could find nothing wrong with the Marine other than the swollen stripes of bruised flesh; and while they were very sensitive and painful to the touch, it didn't appear as if they were the cause of the racking pain that seemed to be plaguing Billy. Edwin knew that the pain had to be intense to the point of being unbearable if Billy had willingly allowed Edwin to give him something to help numb it down.

Peering at the sample once again, the frown marring Edwin's face deepened. Pulling away from the microscope, the medic reached for a folder lying nearby, this one a dark red color, the word "Umbrella" written in his own handwriting on the tab. Flipping it open, he shifted through some of the papers until he found what he was looking for, several sets of photographs – microscopic images of blood and tissue samples taken from three of the four bodies that the Joes had retrieved – the bodies that had shown mutations similar to those caused by the T-Virus that Cobra had been experimenting with. As he looked at the photos, and looked into the microscope again, Lifeline shook his dark head, not wanting to accept what he was seeing. 'God please . . . it can't be . . . '


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Edwin Steen didn't know how long he sat like that, his dark eyes on the examination table where Billy Coen was sleeping, his heart and his head warring with one another. Looking at the Marine's pale face, the medic felt something well up inside of him and he had to close his eyes for a few moments to regain his composure.

Edwin knew what he had to do, and sitting there was only temporarily putting off the inevitable. As much as he cared for Billy, Lifeline knew he had no choice. He tried to console himself with the thought that Billy would understand because he was also a soldier. Rising to his feet, he moved to one of the cabinets and took out an instant camera that he kept there. Taking the camera, he stepped to Billy's bedside.

* * *

Sealing up the large manila envelope, Edwin placed it on the counter top before turning back to look at Billy's slumbering form, a slight twitch of pain jabbing at the Marine as the medic watched. 

Quietly, Lifeline had taken several photos of the marks on Billy's chest. These he had placed inside the envelope along with copies of notes he had made regarding the marks, the Marine's vitals and any other pertinent information. He had also included several samples of Billy's blood as well as copies of the photographs of the samples taken from the apparent virus victims that the Joes had retrieved, along with copies of the notes he had made after examining them.

Standing there silently for a few moments, Lifeline looked at Billy before squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. Swallowing, he tapped his comm. "Duke?"

After a few moments, the big blonde's voice answered back. "Lifeline?"

"Yes." Edwin's eyes were on Billy as he spoke.

"What is it?"

"I . . ." Once again the medic had to steady himself. "I need to talk to you."

"What's going on?"

"I need you to come down to the Infirmary." Lifeline could hear the puzzled tone in his commander's voice. "It's uh, it's important."

There was a slight tone of urgency in Duke's voice. "What's wrong?"

"We uh . . . we might have a situation," Edwin responded quietly.

"I'll be right there," Duke replied, then switched off the com and glanced down at Billy's file, still laying closed on his desk. The big blonde had the sneaking suspicion the "time bomb" he'd been warned about had just gone off.

_To be continued . . ._


End file.
